The Last Dragon
by Spunky Mutt
Summary: Dragons were once a threat to Lylat and were wiped off of the universe many years ago. Now a wolf, harboring the soul of the last dragon, must face a difficult journey to find a lost world before it takes over her body to seek vengeance for its suffering.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I haven't been here in a long time. It's a long story, but suffice it to say that I'm back with a new fanfiction. So, without further adieu, here's the first chapter of The Last Dragon.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Starfox. Any Starfox related characters, places, etc. belong to Nintendo. The only thing I own is my OC, Aura.**

Awakening

A violent storm raged over Krazoa Palace. The massive, gloomy building was enough to give anyone chills. Deep within the confines of the regal palace, someone slept.

A strange dark red aura surrounded her as it kept her suspended in the heart of the palace. The young wolf looked around seventeen. Her fur was a raven black, her long black hair, streaked with a silver-blue color, rested at the mid-point of her back. The girl was clad in a faded, light blue halter top, a tattered denim blue skirt that hung at her ankles, and black leather, lace-up boots that stopped just below the knee.

A voice quieter than a whisper spoke to her. "Aura, the time has come to awaken. You must find it; find the realm of your soul."

The red aura holding her descended to the ground and disappeared, leaving her on the cold ground. The wolf slowly opened her moonlight blue eyes, cringing at the sudden change of light. The realm of her soul, it didn't make any sense. Neither did the voice inside her head. Was she imagining it? More questions arose the more she thought about it. Where was this place? Was Aura her name? She couldn't remember anything. It was all too much to comprehend. The best thing to do was find a way outside to get a better look at her surroundings.

Above her was a series of large, floating fans. She could hitch a ride to the top if she could find a way up. Looking around revealed a tall ladder to her left that led to a ledge. The wolf walked towards the ladder clumsily. She must have been floating for a long time. Grabbing hold of the first rung, she began the long ascent to the ledge. After what seemed like hours of tedious climbing she reached the top of the ladder and hoisted herself onto the first floor of the palace. The first fan was massive in size. The gust of wind was so powerful; she could almost see it through the dust it picked up.

Taking a chance, the wolf ran into it full speed only to be lifted high into the air. Shocked at the strange sensation of weightlessness, she mustered enough courage to keep her bearing and find the next fan. She swam towards it like she was in water as it lifted her even higher. This routine continued until she came to the last one. As it lifted her to the level of the top floor, she used every inch of strength she had to leap from the fan to the ledge. After a few minutes of catching her breath she looked down to see how high she had gone. The dizzying height almost made her fall over. On speculation, she wished she wouldn't have to come back down. She turned around to find yet another fan. How high was this place exactly? The lupe cautiously crept into the fan as it blew her through a tunnel and onto the roof of the palace. The rain was freezing on her fur as an icy wind chilled her to the bone. She walked around a large stone pedestal that looked like it had been used one time or another. There didn't seem to be anything except this place she was in. The gloom of the storm seemed to stretch on forever. It was a dead end. As the wolf turned on her heel to return to the warmer interior of the palace, her sensitive ears caught a strange booming sound. Looking over her shoulder to see what it was, she nearly shrieked out of shock over what she saw.

A massive, metal ship in the shape of a crane made it's descent to the planet. On one side of its steel framing was the image of a fox running. Next to the fox read the word, "STARFOX" in bright green letters. The ship made a horrible racket as it sank lower into the abyss of the storm.

The wolf smiled as an idea popped into her head. Wherever, this thing came from couldn't be of this world. The style was completely in contrast with the palace. This could be her ticket to another world. With that thought as motivation, she ran back inside the palace to go back down and outside.

Author's Note: So there you have it. I'm open for any constructive criticism you're willing to give. I can never tell how long this will be when it's posted, so please bear with me if the chapters are too short. I'll work on it. Please review so I know if there are any improvements I can make on the next chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

Stow Away

The Great Fox landed a ways from Krazoa Palace. The team normally took Arwings down to the planet but a field had been erected around Sauria; the Arwings' shielding was no match for it even with the new upgrades added to them. They had to land the entire, bulky ship on an area large enough. It was a hassle no one wanted repeated.

The docking ramp opened from underneath the ship and extended down to the ground as the team entered into the land below the palace. This was an unknown territory near the palace. No one had been here with the exception of Krystal, who had traveled across the planet many times before joining the team. The land was swampy and unusually hard to make out due to a thick mist covering the land. Vegetation was scarce, consisting of a few meager shrubs and grasses. Seeing as Krazoa Palace was exceptionally high off the ground, they were going to need to find a different route. It was easier said than done.

Fox tried to scope the place out with a pair of Zoom Goggles with no luck; the storm surrounding the palace was so thick, he could barely make out the building. Setting the mechanism aside, the vulpine looked over his shoulder to his team, hoping they were having better luck than him.

"How's it going over there?" he called to Falco.

The blue avian shook his head in disappointment, while Slippy remained fixed to his goggles. This was going to be a long day. Fox was interrupted by a light tap on his shoulder, turning around revealed it to be a cerulean vixen.

"What's up?" he asked, a feeling of concern rushed instantly to him as he saw the puzzled expression on her face.

"That power surge we detected, I can sense it moving towards us." She whispered as not to let the others hear.

Fox wore the same expression as the vixen. How was that possible? However, after the Aparoid War, he had learned to trust Krystal's sixth sense with his life. Had it not been for her, this planet wouldn't be here still.

"Can you tell from what direction?" he asked. Whatever this thing was, he wanted to find out.

The vixen closed her turquoise eyes in deep concentration. Her eyes moving beneath her eyelids as if searching through her mind for something. She opened them once more, the expression on her face turning from puzzled to confused.

"What is it?" the vulpine asked worried.

"I can't tell if it's coming down from the palace towards the ship or if it's already inside." She answered straining to get a positive location.

Fox wasn't about to take any chances, and without hesitation, drew his blaster and ran full speed towards the Great Fox. He called out to Falco, who after seeing the blaster, drew his and swiftly caught up to him.

"Fox, we just got here and you've already whipped the blaster out. What's the hurry?" the avian asked sarcastically.

"It's a little confusing, but Krystal thinks we may have an intruder hiding on the ship." He whispered.

"We've been here almost five minutes and you think there's an intruder on the ship!? I think the storm may have thrown off Krystal's telepathy or something, because there's no way someone could get on board when we just got off." Falco asked confused, trying to keep at a whisper.

"I told you it was confusing. I don't want to take the chance of overlooking this. All we're going to do is check the ship." Fox told his friend.

The two quickly walked towards the bridge and began a full scan of the ship.

* * *

Aura peered down into the deep abyss. She could barely see anything, much less the massive ship. It was down there somewhere. Her only obstacle was finding a way down. After almost an hour of searching for the lowest outside area of the palace, the wolf found herself in another predicament. The distance to the ground was obviously much too high to jump for it. What was she to do?

The wind began to pick up at a surprisingly rapid rate. A strange sound emitted, getting louder each second. It sounded a lot like those giant fans inside the palace only this was much smaller.

Curiosity finally overwhelmed her as she turned around to see what it was. A strange creature approached her at a fast pace. It was an ugly, squid-like thing; a bright violet aura surrounded it. It spun its tentacles around like a swirling fan; knife-like points graced the tips. The closer it got to her, the brighter it became. Aura, out of fear, began backing away from it quickly, her arms thrown around her face and body as a shield from the deathly tentacles and bright light.

Fear has a way of closing up your senses, causing you to act on pure instinct. In this case, fear avoided her from the eerie fact that she was dangerously close to falling off the cliff. Her next step touched only air as the sudden change in balance caused her to lose footing and plummet into the abyss of the storm.

Too scared to even let out a yelp, all Aura could do was wait for death to carry her away. The same eerie voice that haunted her slumber approached her.

"Never give up; that's what he wants."

Aura's eyes began to glow a bloody crimson color. Her claws and fangs grew longer and sharper as a pair of scaly, jet-black wings unfurled from her back. She gained her balance as she made a much slower descent to the ground.

The place she saw was horrific. A vast, barren land burning with wildfires stretched as far as the eye could see. Nothing was alive in this horrid place. It was such a lonely place; it was saddening to watch what might have been a beautiful land burn into the ashes of time to be forgotten.

A high-pitched, deafening screech emitted out of nowhere. It rushed through her ears, screaming into her brain making it pound terribly as if someone was slamming it with a sledge hammer. Aura clutched her ears tightly, trying to block out the wretched noise.

* * *

This same noise reached the ears of Team Starfox's resident telepath. Her mind left completely open to the sound, she took it in unintentionally. The screech sent pain through her entire body, as she huddled to the floor in a heap unconscious.

Fox and Falco returned to the outside of the ship, the scan showed no intruder aboard. The vulpine immediately saw the cerulean vixen collapsed and ran towards her with no hesitation.

"Krystal, are you alright!?" he asked frantically, holding her head up.

She made no reply. Fox scooped her up and walked towards the ship.

"Slippy, Falco, pack up. The energy surge is getting to Krystal; we'll have to leave the planet." He told the two as he took Krystal into the infirmary and laid her down on a medical bed. "ROB, report to the infirmary," he spoke into his wrist comm.

"Affirmative," the robot answered in the usual metallic, monotonous tone.

Fox placed a hand on the sleeping vixen's forehead before walking out the door and towards the bridge.

The horrid screech faded as Aura opened her eyes to see the swampy area beneath the Krazoa Palace. Her form had been restored to it original; the wings were no longer drooping from her back and her fangs and claws were returned to their normal size. Could things get any stranger?

Leaving no time to contemplate what had happened; she saw the ship begin to ascend from the ground and bolted full speed towards the docking ramp, running inside just as it closed. Aura was surprised at the many metal hallways but kept to her mission and began searching for a hideout. She wasn't sure what was going to be next, but she was going to find out as she ran into a randomly picked room, not noticing the sign hanging above it marked "INFIRMARY".

* * *

Author's Note: And so ends the second chapter. If you liked it review, if you didn't…review anyway, but be nice! Flamers will be laughed at and hunted down (not really, but I will laugh). I want to thank Fan Boy 101 for the review. I appreciate it! 


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I'm extremely surprised at the publicity this story's getting. Not that I'm complaining; my last story wasn't as good as this one. I'm glad you guys are interested in it though! Enjoy the third chapter!

* * *

Captured

Aura nearly had a heart attack at the sight of Krystal, who was merely inches away from the door, and managed to let out a small, terrified squeak.

"I've been caught!" she thought as her mind raced frantically for a next move.

However, Krystal made it for her.

"Caught, you're the intruder aren't you? What are you doing on this ship!?" she asked the wolf, who shivered in terror.

"I-I just want to get off the planet," she answered shakily. It then hit her that she had never mentioned being caught out loud. "Wait, how did you know? Are you psychic or something?"

"Don't change the subject!" Krystal warned.

"Stop yelling; it hurts!" Aura shouted, clutching her ears tightly. Her head ached fiercely from the shrill noise.

"Fox, there's an intruder on the ship!" the vixen barked into the wrist comm. She looked up to no longer see the raven black wolf standing there.

"Krystal, are you sure this time? Where is he?" Fox asked.

"She just left the infirmary!" the vixen ran outside the door to catch a glimpse of the tip of a black tail disappearing behind a corner.

Running down the empty corridors, Krystal tried hard to keep up; a wolf's speed was hard to match. Once she was close enough to see Aura, who remained persistent in fleeing, she noticed a peculiar insignia glowing underneath her shirt.

It glowed faintly, making the shape hard to discern. From what she could make of it, the insignia was silver in color and a serpent's eye in shape that gave off a soul-piercing gaze. It was familiar to the Cerinian vixen in some eerie way.

The two's footsteps were in perfect synchronize as they clacked rhythmically against the steel flooring. Krystal began to close in on Aura as the wolf began to tire and slow down.

Fox dashed around the corner as he instinctively grabbed the squirming wolf and pulled her down into a submissive position.

"Looks like you were right," the vulpine told his teammate who merely glanced at him before turning her attention to Aura, who began to change form once more.

The wolf snarled fiercely, her fur bristling threateningly. She didn't know why it was happening, therefore it couldn't be controlled. Nevertheless she tried hard to fight back whatever it was trying to take over, heeding the advice of the mysterious voice within. Sure, she could be imagining it, but everything it told her seemed helpful to her in some way, so she decided to trust it for now. Her eyes flickered from their moonlit blue to a demonic crimson like a dancing flame trying to stay lit.

Krystal shuddered and almost shrieked in shock as a sudden epiphany rammed her full force, making everything clear in an instant. Without hesitation the vixen closed her turquoise eyes and placed the image of the squirming wolf vividly in her mind. An eerie crimson aura surrounded her. Using every ounce of telepathy she could muster, she concentrated the energy into an orb of pure light that rested on her hands gently. In one swift, liquid movement, Krystal thrust the orb at the wolf, which on impact rendered Aura unconscious.

Fox stood awestruck, mouth gaping so far open to make it seem if it opened anymore it would fall of. Words couldn't express how strange the previous event was. All he could manage was a pitiful, hoarse squeak. So many questions arose from the spectacle that Krystal performed. He was sure he had her completely figured out, apparently not. Pushing it aside for the moment, the vulpine scooped up the incapacitated wolf, and carried her through the empty, steel corridors to an empty room, presumably her home for the duration of the trip to wherever their destination might be. The only objects inside were the basic necessities, being a bed made in an organized fashion and a small desk next to it that didn't seem to serve any value other than the appreciation of it being there. A small window lay off to one side of the room, giving the resident a view of the empty void of space.

He laid her on the bed before walking back outside, locking the door behind him. As he made his way to the bridge, Krystal caught up with him, a feeling of worry and fear-instigated stress overpowering all else.

"Fox, what's going to happen to her?" she asked.

"We'll take her to Corneria for questioning; she obviously can't talk now." he answered.

"Someone needs to keep a constant eye on her. I can tell you this from personal experience, that she is extremely dangerous to all of us." The vixen warned.

Fox, curiosity overwhelming him, finally decided to ask her.

"That brings me to an interesting subject. You never told me you could do that. Why did you hide it?"

Krystal looked down for a moment before answering as if trying to block out unwanted memories.

"It's been a long time since I've had to use that power. There was no need to use it after…" she was interrupted by ROB's voice over the intercom announcing that they had left orbit and were setting a course for Corneria.

"We'll talk about this later. Let's get to the bridge." The vulpine instructed before turning on his heel to head towards the said area, Krystal following close behind.

* * *

Aura's eyes slowly opened as she propped herself up on the plush bed, rubbing her temples to sooth her headache. A strange tingling sensation crawled throughout her body as she began to come around. Her heart pounded beneath her chest, writhing and thrashing about this way and that, knocking its cage about like a wild animal. Panic spread as she remembered previous events. She looked around the room and spotted a window. Slowly staggering out of bed, and walking towards the window to peer out of it, her eyes widened in amazement as she saw a large planet growing larger every second. Mixed with hues of green, blue, brown, and puffs of white, it was a beautiful sight to behold. As the ship began to land in Corneria City, Aura's fear of being capture lifted away at the sight of the numerous tall buildings and busy hover cars.

The Great Fox made a loud, muffled boom as the landing gear touched the ground. Her ears pricked up at the sound of her door opening as Falco came in, ushering her out the door and through the halls. As they reached the docking ramp, the rest of the team continued ahead, Fox and Krystal in front; Falco and Slippy in back, leaving Aura smack in the middle. Amongst all of the stress and tension, the wolf was filled with excitement over this new world. The group approached a tall, steel building harboring the insignia of the Cornerian Military. Little did she know that a great discovery lurked behind those very walls as they walked through the swinging glass door.

* * *

Author's Note: And so, another chapter typed. I'll get to work on the next one, so keep checking for it and don't forget to review! 


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: I wish everyone at Fanfiction a merry Christmas. And now on with chapter four! **

* * *

Corneria

Military Headquarters was one of the largest buildings in Corneria City, aside from the Cornerian Military Academy. Needless to say that Aura had to force one foot in front of the other to avoid getting distracted by such a massive lobby. The marble flooring set off a glare against the sunlight shining through a series of windows as tall as the walls. A plush, maroon carpet, flourished with golden designing, was held down by a few wooden chairs and a suede sofa of the same color. Different animals, mostly a variety of dog breeds, dressed in blue or red uniforms, roamed the corridors.

The group made their way through the lobby and into an elevator. Metal doors closed behind them with a small thump. Aura's heart pounded at the sound of her being closed in such a small space. She wasn't claustrophobic or anything of the sort, but it wasn't something she was used to. A strange sensation of pressure rushed over her like a torrent as the elevator shot skyward. Aura grabbed the rail frantically, not realizing how strange and pitiful she looked in the eyes of her captors.

The ride ended abruptly as the doors opened into a different hallway. It was lit only by fluorescent lighting. The floor was covered in steel plating. It set off a gloomy tone to whoever saw such a place. The wolf continued to walk with the group, feeling extremely embarrassed over her reaction to the elevator.

The echoes of their footsteps against the metal flooring sent chills up her spine as she entered a room containing only a metal table, two chairs and a lamp that hovered over the table. It scared her to no end. Keeping her cool, she looked behind her to see that she was alone. She ran to the door frantically and turned the handle, which stopped at certain point. It was locked, leaving her trapped. Just as she was about to cry out for help, the door opened as two canines entered. The first was a tan German shepherd that looked around his early thirties; he wore a navy blue military uniform. The dog's sharp, dark brown eyes were that of an investigator. Accompanying him was a silver wolf wearing a uniform of the same color. A horrific scar slashed across his right eye, leaving a gray film over that eye. His left eye's sharp green color was untouched by scars. Something about him was familiar, but she wasn't sure what. He looked depressed and lonely whenever she came in eye contact with him.

"My name is Inspector Karo. Please, have a seat." The shepherd instructed her as he sat on the far end of the table.

The wolf did as she was told and sat down, nearly yelping in surprise from the icy metal against her legs. Her stomach churned nervously as she waited for what was next.

"Let's start with your name." he stated, pulling out a pad of paper.

"It's Aura, I think," she said unsure. The more she thought about it, the less likely it was that it could be her name. However, the voice had called her Aura, so that would be her name until she found out otherwise.

"You think?" he asked her curiously, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

Aura's heart skipped a beat as she thought carefully of how to answer. It was plain truth that she didn't know anything about herself, but would he believe it? After a minute of contemplation she came to the conclusion that saying what had happened regardless of who believed it was the best course of action. If he didn't believe her story, that was his problem. She was being honest.

So, she told him everything there was to tell, taking care not to leave a single detail out. She even told them about the burning plains she had seen when she fell off the cliff. Every ounce of information was soaked in like a dry sponge to water. The hound furiously wrote it down on the pad, filling up several pages as she spoke. With her story finished, he set the pen down. A look of amazement gleamed in his eyes as if he had found a place in the jigsaw puzzle for a second piece.

Aura, not sure of how to react to such an expression, simply waited for a response. Upon receiving no such thing, she couldn't help but ask a question she had wanted an answer to in the first place.

"Sir, what will happen to me now?"

The canine looked up at her with a look of excitement before answering.

"What you've told me just now is almost completely identical Zephyr's story." He said pointing to the silver wolf leaning on the wall behind him, who merely gave the two a glance before returning to his thoughts. "We found him in a crashed ship on Katina a couple months back. The ship is nothing like we've ever seen before, and although we've managed to construct an exact replica, we've yet to know how to pilot it. If you and Zephyr can put your heads together, we might be able to solve this puzzle. What do you say, Aura?" he asked extending a hand.

The wolf thought about it for a moment. She wasn't the only one with this strange fate after all. Maybe this Zephyr fellow would know more about where they came from. He did have a ship, which was something she couldn't say for herself. After thinking it through thoroughly, she answered his proposal with a firm handshake. However, she couldn't help feeling she had make a mistake by doing so.

"I'll inform Fox." He said walking out the door, leaving the two wolves alone in an uncomfortable silence.

Aura had so many questions to ask him. Where did he come from? Could he remember anything more than her? However, judging by how he seemed to be looking away from her, she decided it was best to leave him be.

* * *

Fox looked up as he heard the door creak open. Karo approached him, his eyes gleaming with an almost childlike anticipation.

"Inspector, what did you find out?" he asked.

The inspector gave a brief summary of Aura's little adventure before informing him of his next move.

"She has agreed to help with solving the mystery of a ship that crashed here some time ago. First, we want to run a few tests on her to see if she has anything in common to Zephyr."

Krystal's ears pricked up at hearing this. Her stomach churned, telling her it was a bad idea.

Fox noticed her discomfort and quickly explained to the canine of what had happened on the Great Fox.

"If it makes you feel any better, you all can monitor her, seeing as Krystal seems to know more about Aura. I can talk to the General to see if he can pay you for this; something like this is a top priority assignment" He offered.

Fox looked to his team on their opinion. Krystal nodded. Past experience taught her that someone like Aura needed a watchful eye. Falco rolled his eyes before nodding. It was obvious that he didn't want any part in it; however, they were going to get paid for it so they might as well. Slippy nodded his head like a bobble-head. He wanted to see this magnificent ship for himself.

With his answer before him, Fox turned to the inspector.

"When do we start?" he asked.

Aura heard the door open once more to see Krystal enter this time. Slightly afraid for what might happen, seeing as their last meeting wasn't very pleasant, she stood up and took a step back, her ears slicked back against her hair.

Krystal stopped, noticing this, and spoke to her telepathically, only to find that she couldn't develop a link. Aura was blocking her out. Astonished at this, she spoke physically instead.

"Aura, there's nothing to fear. I've been told to escort you and Zephyr to the lab where they can run a few tests on you." She said calmly.

The wolf looked at her for a moment, not saying anything. Was it a trick? Then again, she had no reason to trick her in the first place. It was agreed she could be trusted for the moment.

"Right, sorry." She said before walking towards her.

Zephyr followed behind at his own pace; he new the way after all.

As the three walked down the steel corridors, Aura couldn't help but wonder if she was doing the right thing by investigating her past. The voice had given her instructions already. It had told her to find the realm of her soul. It still made no sense, but the voice sounded like it was worried about something. The more she thought about it, she came to the conclusion that Zephyr and this ship might be keys to something in her lost memories. Pushing it aside for the moment, she set her focus on the task ahead, wondering what lay around the next corner.

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, with only a few days to Christmas, I'm going to be very busy with other things, so who knows when I can get to the next chapter. I will make the effort to get some done on my break however, depending on how I feel. I hope you enjoyed it enough to review me!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Hey, sorry for the wait. I had some minor writer's block, but not anymore. So never fear, chapter five is here! -Sapphire Shadow Dragon (or Shadow for short)

* * *

**

Transformation

The group entered a massive laboratory. White tiling spread from the ceiling to the floor and all places in between. There was a faint scent of sterilized latex that seemed to add to the scientific tone of the room. The only furniture consisted of many lab tables arranged in an organized fashion. They were adorned with a number of flasks, beakers, test tubes and other tools pertaining to the scientific community. Different animals, all dressed in laboratory safety attire, hurried here and there, recording data, producing theories in terms of the utmost sophistication, and what not.

The group was taken through this hectic area and into a smaller, quieter, and much less populated room. It was much darker in here than the lab. A control panel lit up by a screen showing the view of a camera inside an empty room. Different gadgets covered the panel, one being a microphone device that protruded from the flat surface. A door could be discerned with some degree of difficulty off to the other end of the room. Karo, Fox, Falco, and Slippy, were already here, conversing among themselves. Upon entrance, the inspector approached the two wolves while Krystal joined her team.

"Aura, we're going to examine this entity inside you. I'm going to need your full cooperation to make this test successful. The reason for this is to ensure you will be able to operate the ship you and Zephyr will be working on." He informed her. "Zephyr, you've been through this before, perhaps you should accompany her to the arena in case she needs help." He instructed him.

The silver wolf nodded as he looked to Aura, who gave him a questioned look.

"It's this way." He told her as he opened the next door and motioned for her to follow.

Complying, the black wolf entered the corridor as Zephyr closed the door behind them and took the lead. He led her through a downward sloped, U-shaped hallway that led to a second door, this time supervised by two canine guards, one a black and white Siberian husky and the other a Yellow Lab, armed with weaponry and protected by thick armor worn over their standard Cornerian military uniform. They didn't break their fixed, forward gaze as the two wolves entered through the door into an enormous, yet empty room covered in white tiling, which seemed to be all the rage in this place. A fairly sized window was placed high on the wall; no light shone through as it appeared as a large, black tile amongst the many, tiny white tiles. Why this place was required to be this specific size was beyond her, but much to her dismay, she was about to find out.

Her suspicions rose as she noticed Zephyr backing away from her at some distance. He showed an expression of worry and anticipation as if he were trying to confirm something he didn't want an answer to. Just then, the two guards seen previously entered the room as the door sealed shut behind them. Their weaponry now strapped to their backs, one held what looked something similar to a semi-automatic pistol, only a thin needle protruded out of the small barrel and a vile, filled to the brim with a strange blue serum, could be seen in the magazine of the gun. Their faces showed no expression or emotion for that matter as they approached Aura, who now new that something bad was going to happen.

The husky grabbed the wolf's arm firmly as he held the "gun" to her neck, slipped the needle through the flesh, and pulled the "trigger". The blue substance quickly filtered out of the vile, through the needle and into Aura's system in the sound of a spray. The guard quickly backed away, his weapon drawn.

At first it seemed as if nothing was wrong. She felt fine until a familiar noise began to form in her head as it grew louder and louder. That's when it hit her; this was the same noise she had heard when she had fallen off the cliff on Sauria. It kept getting louder and higher pitched; it seemed like it would never end. Aura grabbed her ears tightly, and couldn't help but scream from the agonizing pain. Just as things seemed bad enough already, they got worse.

Before her eyes, Aura's form began to change once again. However, this was a full body transformation. Thick, jet-black scales replaced her soft fur and skin, her claws and fangs grew longer and sharper, her size increased massively as facial features changed as well. The wolf ears grew jagged and erect as a pair of silver horns broke from between her ears and curved down to her lower back; her snout grew longer as her nose disappeared and was replaced by two large nostrils, the moonlit blue color dissipated and gave way to a bloody crimson color as her rounded pupils thinned to slits, and a pair of jet-black wings, adorned with strange silver markings, unfurled from her back. With transformation complete, her form revealed a black dragon.

Aura's mind was still in the dragon, nothing had changed except her form, which she gave out an almost frightened roar as she carefully examined herself from head to tail.

"What did you do to me!?" she shouted at the guard. Her speech, much to her surprise, came out in an agitated roar. The guard trembled as his hands shook on the gun he held.

* * *

Krystal's fears had been all too realized as she snapped.

"No! What happened!? What did you do!? Do you realize what you've done!?" she shouted, shaking the inspector by the collar of his uniform. Her turquoise eyes were full of mixed emotions of fear, rage, and sadness.

"Krystal, let go of him!" Fox shouted, prying her away from the canine, with the help of his teammates.

The vixen eyes filled with tears as she was pulled out of the room. It was happening all over again, and this time, she was the only one left who had the power to stop it.

* * *

Aura began to panic. The voice within was now screaming inside her.

"What have you done!? You have released his physical form!"

"Aura, it's okay, you're safe in here." Zephyr told her in an attempt to calm her.

"No I'm not! I've done something I shouldn't have. This place is too small. I want out now!" she shouted, now scared to death as she began to ram her bulky body into the walls and ceiling, which began to crack under the impressive force of her blows. The ceiling finally gave in as the sunlight sifted through the massive hole as she leaped out and spread her wings to full wingspan and soared into the sky. She didn't want to harm anyone; she just wanted to leave this planet. An instinct clicked inside her. It told her to return home, wherever that was.

She wouldn't be able to get on a ship to leave though. That's when something caught her eye. It was located in a desolate area of the city. The object looked like a giant metal dragon. Out of curiosity, she sped to that area, wondering what it was doing there.

* * *

Krystal watched the black dragon soar away form inside her quarters and curled up into a ball and shed her tears. It couldn't be happening, not again. She knew that her only hope now was to tell Fox of her dark secret, even if it meant breaking the oath she had sworn to when this catastrophe had seemingly ended. Looking back to the sky, a look of sheer anger spread across her face, she swore.

"Hear me now, Dragon Keeper; I will wipe you out no matter what the cost. I won't let you jeopardize the universe as you did before with your comrades. I will kill you, make no mistake of that."

* * *

**Author's note: And there it is. I'm working on chapter six as we speak, so it shouldn't be too long before it's up, unless I run into writer's block again. I hope you enjoyed it and don't forget to review! -Sapphire Shadow Dragon**


	6. Chapter 6

Dragon Keeper

Fox entered Krystal's dark quarters. She had been confined here after previous events and now he wanted some answers. Flipping the light switch revealed the cerulean vixen staring out the window in a fixed gaze similar to that of a ceramic figurine. Taking a deep breath, he approached her.

"Krystal, I'm not quite sure what's going on, but from the way you've been acting lately, I can tell it isn't good. You mind filling me in?" he asked her.

Krystal's gaze broke away from the window as she looked to Fox apologetically. "I probably should have told you much sooner than now. It's a memory I don't like to share, but I must tell you if we should ever have a hope of surviving."

* * *

Aura landed next to the massive metal dragon and scanned it carefully. The craftsmanship on this thing was amazing. It looked like an exact metallic replica only much larger than the real thing. It looked so real as if it were just sleeping. The eyes showed no sentience, but it seemed like they could open any time. Massive, plated wings folded neatly against the sides of its "back". Even the long tail seemed to sway this way and that in her mind just as her own tail did. It was damaged somewhat, dents covered the plating along with many scratches and charred spots. She noticed a small panel on the right side of its "belly" and took a closer look. As her crimson eye got close enough, a bright, white light pierced into her eye and moved up and down in a sweeping motion. Aura shot back with a surprised screech as she shook her head to lose the sensation.

Suddenly, the "back" of the dragon opened up to reveal its hollow interior. Curious as to what was inside; Aura swooped onto the top and peered in.

It was pitch-black, but thanks to her heightened, dragon senses, her eyes compensated for the poor lighting. It was almost completely empty, with the exception of a most curious contraption.

It was an eyepiece that looked like it strapped across her face like a ski mask. Wires protruded from it and led to a central computer panel directly above it, where the base of the "neck" would be. Along with it were a series of cloth coverings shaped like the appendages of a dragon, hands, feet, wings, even a tail piece. A small computer chip had been implanted in each for some reason.

A large boom emitted from outside; Aura paused her investigation and crawled out of the ship to see what it was. Much to her surprise, a second metal dragon had landed close by. It stared at her with blue, glowing eyes, which slowly faded to the dead, silver color the metal gave off. Stooping down to all fours, the back opened up as a second dragon leaped out. Its scales glimmered silver; the wings held raven black markings. Its piercing, yellow eyes stared intently on the black dragon. Without hesitation, it sped towards Aura.

Seeing this as an attack, she took a defensive position and in a single, liquid motion, caught it and flipped it on its back, pinning it. The silver dragon snarled and threw all of its weight on Aura and pinned her on her back to the ground.

"Relax, it's me, Zephyr." he told her coolly.

Aura kicked him off of her and returned to her feet, shaking the dirt off of her.

"Zephyr, why do you look like that too?" she asked him.

"I'm a Dragon Keeper, like you."

* * *

"Dragon Keepers?" Fox asked.

"Yes, there used to be a world called Kauris where an advanced race of people called the Dragon Keepers dwelled. They lived perfectly in tune with the dragons and were even able to communicate with them. From what I know, a plague spread there. It did not affect the Dragon Keepers, but it caused the dragons to turn savage and go on an uncontrollable rampage. Using ships of a technology I had never seen before, they began to destroy everything in sight. Cerinia was the closest planet to them, so they attacked there. A special group was formed to combat them. They called it HUNTERS. I was a member of that group. It was our job to eradicate the dragons from our world." Krystal informed him.

* * *

"We tried to stop them from attacking any other worlds, so we extracted their souls from their living bodies in a delicate procedure and intertwined them with ours. It was a way to keep them alive and at bay without killing them, but something went wrong. The dragons began using our bodies for their control and were able to transform to their original state." Zephyr told Aura.

* * *

"We were then given a new target, the Dragon Keepers. Kauris and Cerinia had become engaged in a bloody war that lasted for months, even a year. In the end though, the war ended itself; one day, Kauris just disappeared from the universe. I still don't know to this day what happened to it. Without a home world to return to, we quickly killed off the dragons and their keepers. That was at least what I thought, but it seems that two have managed to survive." Krystal concluded.

* * *

"So, they're all dead except for us?" Aura asked depressed.

Zephyr hung his head low before answering. "Yes, we are the last Dragon Keepers. Why we survived, I still don't know. All I do know is that Kauris is out there somewhere, and we have to go there, something inside keeps telling me to."

Aura thought about this for a moment before it hit her. She contained the soul of a dragon, dragons were from Kauris. That was it! The realm of her soul was Kauris. That was where the voice was telling her to go. It was all so clear now, at least somewhat.

"We need to leave, now; the military's after us. That ship should still be able to fly. I'll show you how to use it. Go ahead and get inside." He instructed the black dragon.

Aura complied and crawled inside, waiting for further instructions.

The silver dragon continued. "Put on the eyepiece and the other equipment."

Aura slipped into the equipment and the inside was suddenly glowing with activity. Her feet now rested on what seemed to be virtual platforms, generated by the electronic chips. There was plenty of room to move around. The eyepiece acted as a window to the outside world as the image was replaced by the area outside.

"This ship is designed to operate and move the same way we do. If you want to leave the planet, all you have to do is fly out. Just jump off the ground as you normally would to take off. The ship will do the rest." He told her. "We need to get out of here, get ready." He instructed as the ship closed up.

The black dragon watched as Zephyr took off into the sky, and followed suit. It was a strange sensation to leap inside a confined area. She was surprised to see that she hadn't bumped into anything; the ship seemed to move in perfect unison. As she exited the planet, she was awestruck by the beauty of the cosmos. It was a different experience to see it from a window than it was to actually fly in it. The stars were so beautiful up close.

She noticed a few ships approaching them, all of them bearing the Cornerian Military insignia.

* * *

Fox soaked in Krystal's words like a sponge. It certainly explained her ability. They were interrupted by ROB's voice over the intercom system.

"Incoming transmission from General Pepper." He alerted.

"Got it, I'm on my way." Foxed informed the robot. "Come on, I'll talk to the General about this." He told Krystal, motioning for her to follow.

The vixen nodded and with that, the two vulpines hurried down the corridors to the bridge.

* * *

**Author's Note: And now I must end chapter six here. I'm glad everyone is enjoying the story so far. Keep checking for updates and don't forget to review! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Sapphire here! I finally had time to get this chapter typed up, yay! Anyways, I was also distracted by my DS because I finally bought Starfox Command. It's an awesome game, but I've only unlocked one of the endings and it was so depressing that I'm now determined to unlock the rest to find a happier ending than that. I'm starting to ramble, so without further delay, chapter seven.

* * *

**

Allies Become Enemies; Enemies Become Allies

Questions flowed through her mind like an endless river as she flew through the empty void of space. It seemed like every time she tried to progress, something was always there to push her back. The Cornerian ships continued their pursuit relentlessly. As soon as they were in range, a message was transmitted into the two dragons' vessels.

"Attention, unidentified pilots, under order of the Cornerian Military, you are to return to the planet's surface immediately and surrender your vessels. If you do not comply, we will be forced to fire on you." barked the commanding voice of a Pit bull.

Aura began to panic, but Zephyr seemed rather calm. He resumed flight as if he hadn't heard the message. She could hear him mutter something beneath his breath, but it was unintelligible from her distance.

"This is your last warning. Return to the surface, or I will open fire." the officer repeated.

Still, Zephyr said nothing. Aura couldn't bear it any longer.

"What are you doing?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm not going back, and I'm not going to let him tell me what to do." Zephyr replied coldly.

"Didn't you hear what he said? They'll fire on us if we don't surrender. Maybe if we went back peacefully and explained everything, they could help us." she told him.

"You don't seriously think they'll believe you? Let's not forget that you harbor something very dangerous. We can't let them do any more damage anymore than they already have. We're lucky to be in these forms and still be ourselves as it is." he explained.

The debate was interrupted by the impact of a laser grazing the arm of Zephyr's "bio-ship". The Cornerians were done waiting. Aura froze in an instant. Her partner, on the other hand, took a more drastic approach and angrily took off towards the firing ship. Dodging the laser cannon fire, he latched himself to the ship with grappling talons and tore into the metal with powerful jaws as if it were live prey. Sparks shot from the opening, and Zephyr retracted himself and watched it spin out of control and finally explode in a gusty wave of fire, leaving nothing but debris.

Aura stood speechless. Hot tears stung her face as she lunged and tackled him away from the others, who seemed to be frozen speechless as well.

"What was that for!?" she screamed at him, "He may have fired on you, but that didn't give you the right to kill him!"

"You still don't get it, do you!?" Zephyr roared back, "These people are terrified of who we are, and if we want them to leave us alone so we can stop this threat, we have to show them just how terrifying we can be to let them know."

This only intensified the fury Aura had pent up inside.

"You would kill a man, simply doing his job, to show others that you're tough? I don't believe this. I thought you were higher than that." She snapped.

Zephyr remained silent for only a moment.

"Listen, these people don't think of us as peaceful. The moment we step down, they'll put us under arrest and test us even more; the sooner you get that through your head, the better off we'll be. If you're not with me, you're against me." He said calmly, but coldly.

* * *

The bridge was full of activity as everyone prepared to take off. On the main view screen, an aged blood-hound, dressed in a crimson military uniform, waited patiently.

"What's going on, General?" Fox asked as he moved closer to the screen. Krystal took her place a little ways behind him, ignoring the peculiar glances given off by her other teammates, ROB excluded.

"As you may already know, two ships, discovered by the science department, have been stolen from the facility. The pilots have been detected somewhere in the vicinity of the planet's orbit. I've dispatched a small group of my men to retrieve them, but there has been resistance, and one of the ships has been destroyed. From the description of fighting method one of them has give me, I have a feeling they're going to need your help to retrieve those ships." The general explained.

Fox processed this through his mind and understood as he gave a nod.

"If I may, General, I have some new information I need to share with you—

"It will have to wait until the job is completed." He interrupted Fox.

"Right, we're on our way. Starfox out" He said as the transmission ended and the team's insignia replaced the hound's image.

Krystal took a deep, cleansing breath to relax as she heard the docking clamps release and the landing gear fold inside their compartments. She watched the ship rise higher and higher into space at a steadily increasing rate, until the planet was merely a cool colored globe in the distance. The four remaining fighters took position beside the Great Fox. The image of a female Golden Retriever appeared on the screen.

"Starfox, we're glad to have your assistance." She greeted them plainly. There was no introduction or anything of the sort.

"We're glad to be of help, but it seems like everything is under control here." Fox examined. No conflict was apparent, and the two ships in question seemed to be neutralized, seeing as they floated adrift.

"That was before one of them destroyed one of our own using a method I've never seen before. After that, the other attacked it, and now they're like this." She explained grimly.

Fox nodded in acknowledgement as he absorbed all information. Krystal watched the ships carefully from a separate window. They were just as she had remembered; no changes had been made whatsoever. The two would jerk and bob their heads in different directions at times as if they were speaking to each other. She attempted to try and read their minds to listen in on the conversation.

* * *

Aura seemed deeply disturbed by this proposal. She didn't want to get anyone hurt, but that was unavoidable no matter whose side she chose. She didn't like Zephyr's tactic, but returning was an equal risk of agitating the dragon and waking it up. As much as she felt connected to the male wolf in some way, she wouldn't let that get in the way of her better judgment. She perked her head up when she sensed that another ship had joined the party and looked back to Zephyr, who still awaited an answer.

"Listen, I want to get rid of this threat just as much as you do, and I believe your heart is in the right place. But your tactic needs work. I'm not going to risk the lives of these people just to do this alone. I don't want to be against you, but it seems you choose to bring that on yourself." She told him as she flew towards the Great Fox.

Zephyr did nothing to stop her, but flew away at an exponentially high velocity. Within minutes, he was gone and out of reach and sight.

Aura approached them cautiously, hoping they wouldn't fire. She remembered that Krystal had been able to read her mind and conjured a communication link.

"I don't mean any harm, I swear. Please let me come aboard and talk peacefully. I need to prevent something terrible from happening." She said to Krystal.

It suddenly hit her that she was still in a dragon's body with no idea how to revert back to her natural state. She began to panic. Would they capture her and test on her like Zephyr had said? She would just have to find out.

"The docking bay's open. Go ahead, but don't try anything," answered the vixen. There was a thin layer of hostility that laced her voice.

* * *

**Author's note: So there it is, typed in all it's glory. Sorry for the wait, but you know how busy school keeps you. Don't forget to review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Here we go, chapter eight. Not much to say really, only that I appreciate the reviews I've received. They really get me pumped up and wanting to write another chapter even more, so thank you!

* * *

**

Tension

Aura carefully maneuvered inside the docking bay and touched the steel flooring gently, waiting for the doors to seal before exiting. Her heart and mind raced. She had hoped that maybe the serum injected into her would wear off, and she would be back to normal. Unfortunately, things didn't work that way, and she was still a dragon. So much had happened to her, and none of it seemed to be positive. It was so frustrating; she wanted to just scream as loud and hard as she could until her throat bled from the strain on it. However, she kept herself calm and reserved; screaming wouldn't help her present situation. As if on cue, Krystal walked through the door and screeched to a halt at seeing Aura.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Change back, so we can get this over with." She said. Her hostility towards the dragon was more than apparent, making Aura all the more unsettled about this.

"I kind of have a problem; I can't change back. I don't know how." Aura responded finally.

"Really now, well you all should have thought about that before uniting yourselves with your dragon pets." The vixen snapped. This was so unlike her; it was a whole other side of her, a much darker side.

Aura puffed up slightly at this snappish remark.

"We only did that to try and stop them, but wait, how do you know about—

"Look, it's no big deal; those soldiers gave us a serum from Inspector Karo before they went to find your friend. He said it would help you revert to normal." She interrupted, sounding calmer than before.

Aura froze in speech upon hearing this. That meant another injection, and if the past was any indication, injections weren't pleasant experiences. She shuddered at the thought, but she knew she would have to suck it up and take it. It was her only way back to normal at the time.

"I see." was all she could think of as a reply.

Krystal sighed and held out a syringe from a hand hiding behind her back. It contained a crystal clear substance.

"Hold still." She ordered as she approached the dragon.

Aura did as she was told and grunted slightly as the needle plunged into her neck. The substance was thick like jelly and cold as ice that stung horribly. She could feel it course through her veins as she wrapped her wings around her body to keep warm; feeling cold on the inside was worse than it was on the outside. Her wings wrapped tighter as she crumpled down in size. Her fur covered the dissipating scales and fangs and claws reduced in size and sharpness. Her wings sank into her back until they were nonexistent, her tail bristling with thick fur. Wolf ears replaced the dragon ones, and horns sank into her head. Her eyes twitched beneath their lids before opening to reveal their natural moonlit hue. She was on hands and knees, shivering from the cold that raged on inside. It slowly dissipated and she staggered to her feet, checking her body all over to be sure everything was as it should be.

Krystal shifted impatiently. She didn't want to become involved with her sworn enemy, no matter how innocent she appeared to be.

"You're back to normal now, so now we can go. You wanted to talk peacefully as I understood it. Well, we're waiting." She said.

Aura remembered this, and without hesitation walked towards the door leading to one of the many corridors the ship had to offer.

"Right," she said, "I wanted to talk to you guys about what I'm trying to prevent."

Krystal shook her head with a sigh. The past still had a firm hold of her and blinded her to the possibility that Aura may actually be trying to help. All she saw when she looked at the wolf was a dangerous insect that needed to be squashed quickly. The vixen quickly caught up to show her the way to the briefing room.

Aura felt a sickening sensation develop in the pit of her stomach. The last time she talked to these people, it was misunderstood as an attempt to stow away on board their ship. However, she forced her self to put it behind her; she had to tell someone of what was to come.

As they entered the briefing room, the wolf was met with the rest of the team. Fox sat at the head of a standard-sized table with a shining black surface. Falco sat to his left with Slippy next to him. Two empty, violet-dyed, cushioned chairs lay waiting off to Fox's right. Aura swallowed hard and wiped the deer-cut-in-headlights look from her face. She followed Krystal, who took her seat next to Fox, and sat in the only other empty chair. Fox broke the silence quickly, anxious to hear her side of events.

"So, Aura, you said you wanted to warn us of something?"

Aura straightened and answered with a clear voice. "Yes, I recently learned of something terrible that may happen if we don't do something to stop it now."

She explained all about the dragons and their keepers, and her close calls. To the vulpines, this was old news repeated, but for Falco and Slippy, this was all new. Fox nodded his head in acknowledgement of this information.

"So, you want to stop this, but with our help?" he inquired.

"Yes, my friend didn't believe anyone would help, but I disagreed." She answered.

She wondered what Zephyr was doing. Even though she had made it clear she didn't want to have anything to do with him, she couldn't help but worry about him. Krystal had said that the rest of the squadron had gone to find him. What if he was killing them off as they spoke, just like he did before? She worried for those people as well.

"We'll talk to the General about it in the morning." Fox concluded, "You're welcome to stay the night here if you'd like."

"I would, thank you, sir." She answered.

Fox cringed at this, but immediately shook it off before it could be noticed. He hated being called sir, or Mr. Mcloud.

"You don't have to call me that. I'm Fox; these are my teammates Falco, Slippy, and Krystal." He told her.

Aura nodded and greeted everyone politely. She hadn't realized it was already nighttime. It must have been late evening when she awoke in the palace. Everyone got up and walked out of the room into the corridor before scattering to different parts of the ship. Krystal stayed behind to show Aura to her room. As they walked, Aura began to grow curious as to what had provoked Krystal to act like this around her. She felt it safe to ask why.

"Krystal, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" the vixen asked.

"Did I do something to provoke you?"

This was hardly the question she should be asking; she should already know why the tension was there. However, seeing as she had lost memory of the Cerinians, she was unaware of what had happened between their worlds.

"Listen, I understand you want to help, but the past won't allow me to forgive what your kind did to my world." She answered.

"I don't understand."

"I may as well tell you now. I came from a planet called Cerinia; it was the first target for your dragons. I used to be a part of the organization HUNTERS, and because of your people, my world was nearly destroyed. Of course, it didn't help much; it was destroyed anyways. I assumed the threat was gone, but I can see I was wrong. That's why I may never be comfortable helping you. Even if it is for a good cause." She explained.

Aura was shocked at this. She felt ashamed and looked down and away from the vixen, eyes closed.

"I'm sorry." She said in a quiet, sympathetic voice.

Krystal said nothing as they stopped in front of Aura's room. The door slid open and the wolf trudged inside. Krystal still remained silent.

"Good night." She muttered.

Still, the vixen said nothing as the door slid shut.

Aura discarded her long leather boots and noticed silver embellishments running along her exposed calves. She stroked a finger across them gently, examining their spiral shapes. She slipped into bed and curled into a tight, secure ball as she wrapped the blanket around her. As she slowly began to drift to slumber, her thoughts returned to Zephyr. Why was she so worried about him, if she didn't want to be around him? She shrugged it off and let the sweet surrender of sleep carry her far from the world and into her dreams. Off in the distance, someone called out to her in a small still voice. It came from within, but sounded so far away.

"Aura…"

* * *

**Author's Note: Don't be sad, chapter nine will be here before you know it. Until then, take the time to review what has been revealed to you. I'm loving the ones I've been getting, including all the helpful advice, so keep it coming!**


	9. Chapter 9

The Elders

Endless light fills this place. She finds herself inside a grand hall without color. The pure white hue of the area gives off the appearance of a soft texture. Giant pillars connect the almost invisible ceiling to the floor. The black wolf appears as a dirty blemish against the light. She runs a finger along a smooth, marble pillar as she wanders about aimlessly. Someone calls to her once more in a whisper.

"Aura…Come to us, Aura…follow my voice."

She is confused; the voice has no apparent direction and whispers to her from all directions in a hoarse hiss.

"Where are you?" she asks.

All that answers is the chilling echo of her voice ricocheting against the walls of the hall. She hangs her head low. She does not know where she is or where to go. Suddenly a second voice emits from nowhere. It sings a mournful song in a deep, thunderous tone. The language is foreign and unintelligible. Curious, Aura follows the echo, and the more she moves, the more the light reveals.

A grand door appears before her. Composed of the same marble, it bears the carving of an orb protected by a pair of wings curled around it.

One is an angelic bird's wing; it's stone feathers appear soft to the touch and comforting to troubled, weary souls.

The other is a dragon's wing with jagged, foreboding scales; it's demonic appearance is contrasted by the purity of the white marble like a wolf in sheep's clothing.

She reaches up to touch the door, but it groans defiantly as it opens for her as if anticipating her wish to enter. A pitch-black void meets her. She looks in hesitantly, not sure whether to proceed.

"Step inside; we're waiting for you." The voice beckons to her.

She obeys and the light punches through the shadows to guide her. Inside, six pairs of yellow, glowing eyes gaze upon her. The fur on her neck bristles in fear as the light reveals them to belong to six individual dragons. Each is pure white but with markings of different type and color for each. Their long, serpentine necks weave here and there like constricting snakes. As the light fills more of the dark room, it reveals only one body and one pair of torn wings like faded glory; each individual belongs to that one central base. It is a curious thing to see; each acts with it's own will and at the same time works in perfect unity with the other, like chaos and harmony living as one. It is something difficult to comprehend.

A single being, his massive muzzle streaked on the sides with blood red characters that climb down his neck, stretches out his neck tiredly to meet her. His face is worn with age as he gazes upon her with tired, old eyes.

"Aura, it's been years since we last saw each other, yet you haven't aged a day. She must have had something to do with it." He says. His mouth never moves when he speaks.

Aura stares at him perplexed. How does he know her? Where in the world is she? Who is this "she" he refers to. More questions rise, but she remains silent.

"Don't you remember us? It couldn't have been that long ago to make you forget so much." He tells her.

Aura shakes her head, but finally musters enough courage to speak.

"Where am I?"

"You really don't remember anything then. You have been summoned to our council chamber. This is the Spirit Temple, a place for wearied souls to return to after death. We are the overseers of this realm. We are called the 'Elders'" He explains.

Aura listens closely and carefully to each phrase uttered by this magnificent beast. It doesn't take her long to come to a sickening conclusion.

"Wait, does that mean I'm—

"No, you're body still rests aboard that ship. Your soul has been summoned here and will return soon to its rightful place." He interrupts.

"I see."

"Since you have forgotten, I will have to tell you once again. You know that you are a Dragon Keeper and that all of them have perished in the war, but what you seem to have forgotten is why only you and Zephyr remain alive." He begins.

"How do you know Zephyr?" Aura interrupts.

"I'm getting to that. You see, when you and Zephyr were assigned dragons, the Keepers were not aware that those two specific ones were special breeds. All dragons are able to control a basic element, but yours and Zephyr's control unique elements. The dragon that resides in you is Kiruna, lady of the heavens, and Zephyr bears mighty Artemis of storm. These two are extremely dangerous dragons that initially started this war by awakening primitive instincts in the others. It was very much like a plague, but it wasn't as other worlds assumed. In the end, both of you were able to gain control over your bodies, and transport Kauris, using our power, into a secret dimension of the Lylat system. We lost contact with you both after that." He concludes.

Aura is at a loss for words. That was what really happened? Zephyr was off on a few key subjects, but it wasn't that far off. She wears a puzzled look.

"But, sir, if everything is safe, why is Lylat still in danger?" she asks.

He looks to her with the utmost seriousness.

"You know very well as much as I do what danger still remains."

She looks down to the ground as she thinks about this. She has an idea, but she doesn't now for sure. If what he said was true, then she and Zephyr had to get rid of Kiruna and Artemis.

"I don't understand. I didn't think you could undo that sort of thing." She says looking back up.

"You can't. Once yours and a dragon's souls are intertwined, it is permanent. However, it is possible to deaden the dragon's sentience in your soul. That is what you both must do to finally subdue the chaos. There is a portal to the dimension located where Kauris once was. Look for the center of the eye…"

* * *

Aura's eyes slowly fluttered open as she began to come around. She was lying in her bed; the temple was gone along with it's blinding light. Darkness, lit dimly by the stars in space, returned to her as she mulled over everything in a perplexed manner. That was far too detailed and complex to be a dream, or was it? She didn't know what to think anymore. It seemed that everyone she met had something against her, and the ones who didn't wanted her to do something dangerous, pressuring her the whole time. Wearily, she stretched her limbs and torso before rising out of bed. Her eyelids drooped over dazed eyes, sable fur mussed about, shoulder-length hair tousled like a lion's mane, and tail laid ruffled in a tattered mess. She definitely filled the quota for someone who just woke up.

It was then, with glazed eyes, that she noticed a second door in her room. It creaked open to reveal a bathroom, where she could finally clean up.

It was as basic as the other room, holding a simple shower stall with a swinging glass door, a small sink with limited counter space, and so on. The cold steel walls made it seem smaller than it was. Shining, white tile, cold as ice against her bare feet, lined the floor.

Seeing as she had no change of clothes, she closed the door behind her before shedding her clothing and folding it neatly, placing it on the small counter, part of it drooping into the sink due to lack of space. She swung open the glass door and stepped into the stall's interior, noting two small bottles of shampoo with just enough for one use in each. One was for the silken hair adorning her head. The other was meant for the less soft-textured fur covering the rest of her body. She turned the metallic knob underneath the broad shower nozzle and felt immediately relaxed by the feeling of the searing hot water running down her and through her fur. Aura closed her eyes, and as the water soothed her, she felt that for a moment, if even for a moment, she could forget everything for the few minutes she would have in her haven of boiling moisture.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's note: Wow, I haven't updated this in FOREVER. So sorry for the insanely long wait, my readers! Here we are, chapter 10!

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A Danger Revealed

Aura took her time in the shower, but she made sure not to linger for too long. She shivered from the cold as her supply of liquid heat was cut short with the turn of the knob. It dawned on her that there was no towel nearby; she would have to find one. The water slicked down her fur, making her feel heavier than usual as she trudged out of her shower stall, arms wrapped around her tightly to contain as much warmth as possible. She reached for the steel cabinet that lay grappled to the wall above the sink. Much to her satisfaction, three terry-cloth towels, white as snow, laid folded in a neat stack inside. She swiped one and wrapped it around her body securely; a second was used to dry out her hair. Once she was dry, she slipped her clothing back on.

Her dream, in question of reality, loomed over her like a storm cloud, debating whether or not to rain. It seemed as if she were wandering aimlessly through a labyrinth, only it was pitch-black and she couldn't even see where she was headed. That dragon, or those dragons to be accurate, had told her that there was a way to her home world. The center of the eye, what could that possibly have meant? The end of the maze seemed farther away now.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a low growl that emitted from her stomach. She remembered that she hadn't eaten anything since she woke up the other day. The realization of her hunger struck her harshly as the stress that kept her from realizing it melted away gradually. She slipped on her boots and tied them tightly before straightening and walking out the door at a graceful stride.

It hadn't exactly occurred to her that she had no idea where anything was on the ship. She seemed to be making a habit of not thinking things through before acting. After a few minutes of wandering aimlessly about the ship, she officially deemed herself lost. The wolf kept her cool, as being lost was never a good feeling, and began to search for any sort of map that might point her in the right direction of their mess hall.

As she walked through the steel corridors, her mind wandered back to everything that had been revealed to her. She was more of a threat than she realized, she and Zephyr. She wondered what ever happened to him. Had the Cornerians finally captured him, or had they met their demise at his hand, allowing him to go off and bring anguish and pain to any who stood in his way? She knew she would have to seek him out and tell him what must be done quickly before he could do anything he would regret. Would he believe her?

She was once more interrupted by the smell of food and the sound of conversation. Her senses heightened as she scuttled about, searching for the source of the commotion. She finally came upon a large sliding door and stepped through it as it slid open for her.

Everyone was inside sitting at a circular table on her right, each eating away at the contents on steel trays. Fox and Krystal sat next to each other on one end with Falco and Slippy on the opposite end.

The room was fairly spacious, being very plain in décor. A few smaller circular tables sat off to the sides of the larger in a branching manner. Two chairs steel framed and cushioned only at the seat with a violet hued fabric sat at each. A larger window rested ahead of her next to a steel counter that lined the right wall. A series of cabinets with sliding glass doors, clouded like thick plastic, sat over the counter. A gas stove with four burners interrupted the counter's trajectory before allowing it to continue to the bottom right corner, only to be ended once more by a simple white refrigerator, divided horizontally, which was wedged in the corner tightly. A small metallic sink had been built into the counter and rested on the opposite end.

They didn't seem to notice that she had come in. Krystal gave a backward glance at her, but it was expressionless as if she were simply looking back to see who had come in. Their eyes met briefly before Aura quickly averted them elsewhere, and Krystal drew her attention back to the group to rejoin the conversation.

Aura walked towards the counter and cabinets. With peaked curiosity, she slid open one to see a couple of small, white, porcelain plates sitting on the shelves. A few showed off fried eggs, the yolks untouched as they bulged off of the surface like shining yellow bubbles. Some others displayed various meats such as sausage links, cleanly sliced bacon, and slices of savory ham. Each was accompanied with the appropriate silverware. Aura smiled as she inhaled the succulent fragrances of meat and eggs. She looked around for a tray and spotted a small rack containing a few of the said items off on the left side of the counter. She grabbed one and placed on it three plates. One held a single egg; the second a few slices of cooked ham, and the third a small link of sausage.

She looked around for a glass, but alas there was none to be found. She looked around lost until her eyes met Krystal's once more. She gave the vixen a helpless glance, which only earned her a roll of the eyes and two fingers being held up. Aura looked at this confused as she tried to interpret what that meant. Two what? Two glasses? Two plates? Was it some sort of Cerinian insult? Two cabinets? That was a possibility. The lupine quickly looked back to the cabinets and slid open the second door to find a few glasses stacked on shelves. She grabbed one and looked back to Krystal to mouth a thank you, but the vulpine was no longer paying attention and was now engrossed in the men's conversation once more.

Aura sighed with a shrug of the shoulders as she walked to an empty table closest to the window, placed her tray down, and walked back to find something to drink. The refrigerator was like a treasure chest with unknown contents waiting to be discovered, but she didn't live here. It didn't seem right to go snooping through it. She looked around some more and noticed a small drop of water drip from the sink faucet and ping against the metallic basin as it slid into the drain at a snail's pace. The thought crossed her mind as something strange, ridiculous even, but as ridiculous as it seemed, there she stood, glass in hand under the faucet, as she filled it halfway with room temperature water. She walked back to her seat, sat down and partook of her meal.

The eggs were an adventure. She didn't quite care for the yolks, as they soon became a yellow, goopy mess that had a slimy feeling in her mouth she would rather not have. The whites were much better, and she enjoyed them more.

Sausage had a curious spiciness to it that was strangely enjoyable. It wasn't amazing, but it wasn't horrible either.

Ham, on the other hand, was her favorite. She savored the smoky flavor as the juices made her mouth water with every bite.

She ate her meal in peace, giving the other group a second glance before returning to her food.

Falco was extremely talkative, but who wouldn't be if there was a possibility of action in combat? Anything was better than lazing about with nothing to do. Even with the occasional cargo transport assignment, life after the apocalyptic Aparoid War was anything but exciting or lively. Krystal paid attention somewhat, her mind dwelling on other things. Slippy was too busy on the subject of what could be done with the pay for the possible assignment to notice, but Fox's keen senses could tell that the vixen wasn't on the Great Fox anymore, so to speak.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked discretely as not to draw attention to himself or her.

"I'm sorry?" she asked him, snapping back into reality.

"You haven't said a word since last night. Everything go okay?" he reiterated.

Krystal rubbed her eyes wearily. "Yes, I'm fine. I didn't get much sleep last night. I'm still a little tired."

"Incoming transmittances from General Pepper and Inspector Karo." announced the metallic and monotone voice of the ship's droid.

ROB's morning announcement signaled the end of breakfast and the start of work for the day; Falco and Slippy readily answered the call of duty and discarded their empty dishes in the sink before strolling out of the mess hall to their respective stations. All that remained now were the two vulpines and Aura, who had just swallowed down the last of her meal in a flurry of panic to keep up with the others.

Fox set aside their conversation for a later time and rose from his seat to take care of his dishes. Tray in hand, he strolled quickly to the sink and placed it on top of the others before swiftly exiting the mess hall, not wanting to keep the general or inspector waiting long. He paused briefly at the door as it swished open for him and stole a glance at Krystal, who had finished with her dishes.

She watched him curiously as he motioned for her to stay with Aura with a bob of the head in the lupine's direction and leave before she could say anything. With a mental groan of protest she turned about and waited for her unhappily, gazing at the young one the way a maid would upon an exceptionally tall pile of laundry in need of washing.

Krystal's sharp and impatient leer felt like acid darts burning holes in the back of Aura's head slowly and painfully and only heightened her panic even more as she quickly but carefully tossed her dishes into a now very full sink and darted to fox's side like an obedient puppy when it feels it's done something wrong.

"All right, if there's nothing else, we need to get to the bridge." Krystal advised hurriedly as she exited and briskly paced through the corridors to the nearest lift with Aura trailing behind at a fast pace.

They said nothing, nor did they even look at each other. It was an uncomfortable silence that both felt was necessary, awkward and rather unwanted, but necessary. The two entered the lift as the doors closed behind them. Krystal punched a button on a panel near the door, and the lift became animated and shot skyward. Aura, this time understanding the sensation, only quivered stressfully, an action that could easily be misinterpreted into a number of things.

"Do you think they'll agree to help?" she asked the vixen suddenly, breaking their solemn decree of silence.

Krystal glanced briefly at her as she spoke. "I'm sure." she sighed in disappointment.

Aura didn't dare point out her melancholy spirits, knowing full well the reason behind them. The conversation ended as quickly as it began with the sudden stop of the lift and the swishing open of the doors that revealed the bridge.

Fox, Falco, and Slippy all stood in front of the large, divided screen, which displayed both images of an aged bloodhound, and a middle-aged German shepherd, as they waited for the women's arrival.

Krystal quickly took her place next to Fox, leaving Aura standing off to the side of the team alone but still in view.

The inspector was the first to speak.

"Aura, are you all right? Where's Zephyr?"

"I'm fine, but I'm afraid Zephyr fled from us." She answered him dismayed.

"Fled?" he barked in sickening surprise, "Where to?"

"Now, now, I'm sure we can discuss this in a moment, inspector," pled Pepper earnestly, "but first comes this important information I was told needed to be brought to my attention immediately."

"Yes, sir, Aura's discovered a danger to this system we must confront with little time wasted." Fox informed them.

"Is this true, Aura?" the general inquired of the girl.

She nodded solemnly.

"Yes, sir, I ask you to please hear me out. This is something you must know."

And so, Aura once again recited her story and all of the new information she had received, taking great care not to leave a single detail out save for the Elders she conversed with in her dream. That was a different matter of no danger or concern to them.

The old hound nodded gravely as she finished.

"This is certainly a grave danger indeed, and you say the only clue to finding Kauris is 'through the center of the eye'?"

"Yes, but I have no idea what it means."

Something in Fox's mind clicked, and an idea formulated in his mind. He concentrated hard on his thoughts and focused on one sentence, making it loud and predominant enough for Krystal's sixth sense to pick up.

_Krystal, you told me you were at war with the Keepers on Kauris, so does that mean you still remember where the world used to be?_

He watched her expression change to confusion with the furrowing of her thin brows.

_Yes, what are you getting at?_

_That would be a good place to start looking. Don't you think?_

Silence was all that met him.

_Krystal, I know it must bring up painful me-_

"General, if I may, I know of a starting point in our search." Krystal interrupted.

"Go on, Krystal."

"My world was once at war with Kauris; I still remember where it used to be. Perhaps we should start there?"

Fox blinked emphatically at the suddenness of this. He didn't expect her to agree so readily.

"Very well, it's a start." he agreed, "Fox, consider you and your team on a paid assignment. Find this lost world, and do whatever you can to assist Aura."

"Understood, sir," the fox grinned.

Both Falco and Slippy beamed joyfully as they became entranced in their own fantasies.

"Please, Aura, don't hold a grudge against Zephyr. He's never wanted to hurt anyone, but these past events have confused him and clouded his judgment. You both must look out for each other no matter what." Karo pleaded.

"When I find him I'll be sure to tell him what you've said." she reassured him.

He nodded and smiled hopefully as both images faded and returned to the team's insignia.

"Well, you heard the man, let's get started." Fox announced excitedly. "ROB, set a course for the coordinates Krystal's about to give you. Slippy, make sure the Arwings will be ready to launch if need be."

Everybody scuttled off to attend to their tasks in preparation for their new assignment. Feeling out of place and in the way, Aura slinked into the lift to return to her quarters for a nap. A sudden fatigue overwhelmed her, and she began to feel almost light-headed, everything in her mind meshing and blurring into a hazy mess as she trudged wearily through the corridors and into her room. The door closed behind her, and the room began to spin as her head swam. She could feel her eyes rolling into the back of her head and lost all control of herself as she collapsed to the floor with a dull thud. Everything faded to darkness, and all of her senses grew numb as she slipped away from consciousness.

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**Author's Note: Ahaha, (avoiding any possible objects thrown at me) once again, I apologize for disappearing like that for so long, but hey, at least I didn't come back with a short chapter. Until the next chapter! Ciao! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: 'Bout time I finally finished this chapter. I had a bit of a shaky time with it, but towards the end, I was back on a roll. Have fun reading!

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Fight or Flight?

A defiant and thunderous roar filled the empty space for a brief moment, the universe far too vast to carry on its dying echo. Zephyr snarled in irritation as he leapt and glided from one asteroid to the next. A hideous, beastly, worm-like thing pursued him as a predator would its prey. Its pincer-like mouth clicked hungrily as it slithered closer to him, twisting and turning to avoid obstacles.

"Blasted asteroid worms, I should have known better than to hide out here." The boy scolded himself with a condescending hiss.

Suddenly, something clamped down on his tail and dragged him back the way he came, letting go and fastening itself around his belly. With a deafening screech, he reared his head back to see those now much larger pincers slowly pulling him closer, and with little hesitation he whipped his spiked tail about and rammed it forcefully beneath the worm's jaw, cringing in pain as it screamed a shrill cry. Taking this opportunity as it loosened its grip, he fled with great speed to an exceptionally large and jagged asteroid and landed gingerly on a flat surface.

It wasn't long before the rock began to quake and tremble with an immense magnitude, and in a glorious spray of dust and rock, the worm reared its ugly head from beneath the rock and roared out in triumph.

Zephyr backed up warily and watched it carefully, half of its body still tucked away in the tunnel it had dug itself. These awful beasties were not to be trifled with. They were not predators, for they fed on the rocks floating about in space, but they were very untrusting of strangers and saw any as dangerous intruders. They never left the belt, staying close to their only food source, and made homes in the larger meteors by digging tunnels using their powerful, gnashing jaws and secreting an acidic substance on their tough, yellowed hides to help soften the rock, earning their name "asteroid worms".

He snarled threateningly at it as his eyes scanned about for a way to get away from this thing. It seemed to still be working its way out of the tunnel it had burrowed for itself. It wouldn't be long before it broke free, and he would be on the run again. He couldn't run forever. It was now or never; he had to kill that thing while he still had the chance. With a rumbling roar as encouragement, he charged after it, heart throbbing with a sickening uncertainty of what the future held. Steel fangs cut into its tough flesh, and he tore into it, thrashing it about wildly in a strain to tear its hide open.

The worm roared and clamped its pincer tightly on his steel frame. The metal groaned under the impressive force, and the interior hummed with annoying, buzzing alerts. His opponent ripped him off of it and shook him like a rag doll before throwing him forcefully against a jagged, mountain-like thing that formed a wall around part of asteroid.

Zephyr's ship had undergone a fair amount of brutality, but the impact was too great and became the straw that broke the camel's back. A surge of electricity coursed through the metallic dragon and everything within it. Zephyr screamed out in unbearable pain as his entire body became a conductor. As suddenly as it began, it ended, and he slipped farther down the jagged slope, a piece of sharp rock piercing the worn metal like tin foil. A subtle hiss alerted him to the growing danger of oxygen leaking slowly from his ship, but he felt himself slipping away. His body worn and beaten from battle and electric shock, the ship grew suddenly dark, as the lights were no longer able to sustain enough power for themselves. Breathing became slow and shallow with each tired gasp, and in moments he lost himself to dark silence.

_What was I thinking? Oh, Aura, please forgive me…_

* * *

"Zephyr!" Aura yelped fearfully as she awoke in a cold sweat.

She gasped and panted frantically as she gained control over herself again. It didn't take long for her to realize she was no longer in her quarters. The familiar eerie white radiance surrounded her once more, tall pillars the same as she remembered from her previous visit.

Slowly, she rose to her feet now frustrated by all of the secrecy and the unknown.

"Why have you brought me here again? Why am I here?" she called out into the void.

"Zephyr is in grave danger. You must go to his aid and quickly." answered that soothing, husky voice.

Aura turned to look behind her and saw the Elders standing there with her. She looked to them with saddened and worried eyes.

"That dream was real? Then why did you bring me here when I could be saving him?"

"Please, my dear, calm yourself. We will return you, but there is something we must teach you first."

"Teach me?"

"Yes, we hid it from your memory to ensure you wouldn't use it flippantly. It's a very dangerous ability if you cannot exercise control over it."

"If it will help me save Zephyr, I accept your lesson."

"Very well," they bowed their heads in acknowledgment and wearily turned about on their old bones, "then follow us, and we will reawaken the power sleeping within you."

With that, they walked onward to the grand door with ragged steps as it opened for them. The once dark area now lit up to reveal a large arena with the flickering of several candles suddenly sparking to life.

Aura followed after them, gazing in awe at the new arena before her. It was old and decayed with a sort of ancient and rustic beauty to it. Faded red cobblestone lined the floors and walls. Mildewed cracks splayed across the stone like dirty cobwebs.

The fur on her back bristled slightly as the door suddenly boomed closed behind her. She forced herself to relax, focusing on the important task at hand.

The Elders sat shakily before heaving in a cleansing breath.

"Please, sit." Spoke the crimson-marked one. He seemed to be the lead of the eight, for he was the only one who ever spoke.

The girl did as she was told and sat cross-legged on the ground softly.

"Now clear your mind. Forget everything you knew, everything you've been told. Only then can you remember what your soul already knows. Allow yourself to be swallowed by the dragon within; embrace her dark touch, but do not lose yourself within it. Remember, Aura, concentrate."

The raven wolf closed her moonlight eyes, the words of her teacher filling her ears. His voice was so soft yet so strong and commanding. She felt at peace, and suddenly a pair of crimson eyes stared at her within the dark void of her conscience. Their terrifying leer frightened her, and she gasped fearfully.

"It's all right, my girl. Allow her to intertwine with you. Imagine her eyes as your own."

Aura sighed shakily, her brows furrowed in concentration. The image disappeared from her thoughts, and all she saw was vacant darkness once more.

"Now," he spoke once more, "Open your eyes, and see what you have become."

Her eyes cracked open hesitantly, afraid to see what had happened. She let out a small roar of surprise. There she sat a dragon once more, the same dragon as before.

"I-I don't believe it. How is this possible?" she asked, examining herself in disbelief.

He chuckled. "You have always known of this ability. You simply remembered how to harness it." His mood changed to a more serious tone. "I must warn you; you are not yet old enough to be able to maintain control over Kiruna, and she will take advantage of this. Do not stay in this form for too long, or your control over her will diminish, and she will do whatever it takes to take control of your body. Be extremely careful."

"So that screech…" she trailed off.

"Her screams go unheard within the confines of your soul, but in your moments of weakness, those barriers will deteriorate."

"I see."

"Now," he said as they turned their stance to something more on the offensive, "You must learn the basic fighting skills in this form. They are essential in times of peril, especially while within your ship."

Aura looked upon them with pity. It wouldn't be a fair fight what with their old age.

"Do not worry, Aura; these old bones are not as frail as you think. Now come at us and show us what you know."

They bellowed a challenging roar to instigate the primal instinct of battle within.

Aura hesitated for only a moment before psyching herself up and charging at him, but within an instant she was thrust backward with mighty force as one of the heads lurched out of the group and rammed her hard with the top of his horned skull.

She grunted and rose to her feet again, shaking her foggy head clear.

"Your strength is impressive, but it will do you no good if you cannot incorporate strategy. Try again." He said to her as the attacker shook his head a bit as well.

The girl once again charged, and a head branched out to meet her. Plans forming as she went along, she had little time to react and ducked out of instinct. His jaws snapped shut, clasping empty air, and Aura took the chance to spring on him and clamp down on his exposed neck. Shaking it wildly, the instincts of battle began to come back and a feral leer began to burn in her blood red eyes with a passion to kill.

The Elders did not seem worried by this new trait of hers and shook her off quickly, snarling as their large tail whipped about excitedly.

"Yes, that's it. Let the savagery of your ancestors flow through you. Become one with the beast within, and let your hearts beat as one." The lead encouraged.

Aura grinned a fanged grin and roared in her savage delight. What a feeling this was!

"That will do for now. To change back, simply imagine your true form clearly in your mind." She closed her eyes and followed his instruction, opening them again to see she was back to normal.

"You have made excellent progress, Aura. As a reward, we present you with this. It once belonged to you on Kauris, and we've kept it safe, waiting for the day we could return it to the rightful hands. May it aid you in times of need as it has many times before." He spoke as a smile creased his scaly muzzle.

An orb of pure silver light hovered overhead and slowly descended, thinning and elongating as it neared her clutches.

Aura held out her hands and grasped it warily, uncertain of its tangibility. The light faded in a brilliant flash and left behind a black steel blade encrusted with silver line designs. A diamond shaped gemstone as blue as sapphire was embedded into the base of the sword's metallic silver hilt. A last flickering remnant of its almost holy radiance danced across it in a fleeting scamper as she gripped the hilt tightly

She stared at her newfound possession in awe as a white light surrounded her, the same drowsy sensation overwhelming her once again.

"You are running out of time. Remember, Aura, you must rescue Zephyr before it's too late. It's your duty to one another to look after each other."

Those were the last words she heard as she slipped into her unconscious mind yet again, her senses spreading thinner and thinner as she lost touch of her surroundings with a final, soft, whispering breath.

* * *

Aura awoke with a start, her eyes snapping open in a startling suddenness. It took a few moments for her bleary vision to finally clear itself of its sleep-laced haze and reveal to her a startling sight. A thin white sheet covered her body, which was now without clothing, as she lay on her back on a cold steel tray of some sort. An intense icy temperature froze her to the bone and perhaps beyond that. What happened? Where was she?

"Hello?" She called out, her voice muffled through the sheet.

Nothing replied to her, not even an echo of her voice.

Suddenly, a whir and a hiss sounded within the space she was in, and she could feel warmth grace her feet as the tray pulled her closer to the heat. Grateful to be warming up, she was about to pull the sheet off of her when a mechanical hand came from seemingly nowhere and did it for her.

With a terrified scream, she pulled it back over her chest, leapt of her tray-like bed, and collapsed to the ground when her weakened legs gave in. She was still regaining her movement it seemed.

"Are you ok, Aura?" hummed the drone-like voice of ROB, who stood on the other side of the bed next to a tray holding a variety of sharp steel tools.

"What's going on!? What were you going to do to me!?" she barked at the droid frantically as her eyes darted from him to his tray several times.

"I have been ordered to perform your autopsy." He replied to the point.

"Autopsy?" she repeated, "but I'm not dead!"

"Recent medical scans show all organ systems have ceased to function."

"How can that—Oh, never mind, we'll figure that out later. I need to talk to Fox. Can you get him for me?" she fumbled over her words as she remembered Zephyr.

"Affirmative,"

She sighed with relief as ROB took the tray away and placed it on a nearby counter before requesting Fox's immediate presence through the nearby intercom. She wrapped the sheet tighter around her uncomfortably as she sat back down on the bed to examine her surroundings.

This must have been a branching room of the infirmary, for the style was very much the same, white-tiled ceiling and walls, steel plated flooring and cabinets, it was not at all different aside from the lack of medical supplies, such as ointments and other such needs. Her bed protruded out of a wall lined with drawer-like storage compartments large enough for a person to fit inside, someone like her.

The soft hiss of the door sliding open caught her attention as not only Fox, but Krystal too, entered the room. Both wore the same, wide-eyed expression of shock, surprise, and confusion as they saw Aura perfectly alive.

"Aura?" Fox squeaked out in disbelief, "But you were—what?"

"Why did you think I was dead?" she asked finally.

"Well, because you were." Answered Krystal, "I found you collapsed in your quarters, and we took you to the infirmary. You weren't even out for that long, and your readings showed like you had been dead for days, no residual brain activity, not even a trace of body heat left. You were completely dead."

Aura stared dumbfounded at her. "But, that couldn't have been. I know I wasn't dead. I just know." She denied. It wasn't possible. Was it?

Fox rubbed the back of his head with an exhausted sigh. This just got better and better with every minute.

"But we don't have time for this right now." The wolf continued assertively, "We have to get to the asteroid belt and fast."

"Why there?" Krystal asked suspiciously.

"It's Zephyr. He's in serious danger, and we have to save him before it's too late."

"Zephyr? The one Karo was talking about?" Fox inquired.

"Yes, him." She answered him impatiently, "We have to hurry."

"Well, now hold on. How do you know he's there?" he now questioned suspiciously.

"Because I saw him there in a dream." She blurted out. She mentally slapped her face in irritation. Why did she have to just out with it all the time? She hadn't given any thought to the fact that the "she saw it and was told it was real" spiel wasn't a very convincing argument. There was no way he was going to buy it.

Fox, however made no clear verbal response to this and simply raised a brow quizzically at her as if to say "I find this hard to believe."

With a long, drawn out sigh to recollect her jumbled thoughts, she chose her next words carefully.

"Please, you have to trust me on this one. I know he's out there, and I'm running out of time to save him. He's like a part of me, and I need him with me if we're going to stop this threat."

"She's telling the truth, Fox." Krystal spoke softly, almost as if something inside her had been moved by this, "They're both Keepers, and they both hold the same threat in their hands."

Aura's eyes widened at what she said. Was she actually willingly trying to help her?

Krystal didn't give off so much as glance at her, her eyes fixed on her leader as she waiting for his response.

Fox sighed and shook his head defeated. "All right, we'll check it out, but I want you out there with us to tell us exactly where he is." He said finally.

The wolf smiled joyfully and nodded her head in agreement.

He smiled back and flipped open his wrist comm., "Slippy, set a course for the asteroid belt at maximum speed."

"Got it." Squeaked the toad through the intercom.

With that, he strolled out with ROB behind him on his way to the bridge, leaving Krystal and Aura alone.

Krystal turned to leave.

"Wait," Aura stopped her.

The vixen turned her head to look at her.

"Thank you for that. I didn't think he was going to believe me."

"Don't read too much into it, Keeper." She hissed back, insulted that the girl believed she said that to help her, "I only said what I said because Zephyr's a necessary part of ending this threat, and no good to us at the moment if he's dead."

Aura said nothing in response as Krystal left her to mull over her words still floating in the air gloomily.

* * *

Zephyr groaned tiredly as he mustered enough energy to open his eyes and look around. Everything was so dark and distorted; he could barely make out the flickering control panel before him. A booming roar sounded near him, muffled by the steel frame of his ship. His heart pounded as he slowly slid up against the hull in an attempt to get back on his feet, the steadily decreasing amount of oxygen giving him little to no energy to do so. The ship remained adrift in space, its power, if not completely drained, very low.

His headset wasn't working, leaving him completely blind within the confines of his ship as muffled roars taunted his fears outside. He cursed to himself beneath his breath, wishing it would just grow bored of him and finally leave him be.

* * *

The worm snarled and growled as it wriggled and writhed about wildly to free itself from the hole it had dug itself. These things, while swift and agile as dancers in open space, were sluggish when tunneling, most of their energy being put into digging. They were, however, very flexible, and with every hint of movement, it was slowly inching closer to Zephyr, its elongated body stretched like a rubber band to its full extent as an excited hiss escaped through its clicking jaws. It was so close it could almost touch the wing of his ship when something else caught its attention. A roar escaped it as it finally wriggled free and fled to hide within the rocks.

* * *

The Great Fox tore through the stars at an incredible rate as it reached the belt. It began to slow down steadily as it cruised through the asteroids, blasting away any rock coming its way with upgraded laser cannons.

Fox and the rest of his team were on the bridge, idly scanning the view of the belt from the view screen.

"Anything yet, Slip?" he asked the toad, who had been stationed at the sensors panel since his return to the bridge.

Slippy looked up from his work and shook his head as he spoke. "Nothing yet."

"Keep looking." Fox told him with a nod, turning to the sliding door near him as it opened with Aura walking through it now fully dressed in new clothing, her old rags having been discarded after her convincing death. Thankfully ROB was able to quickly conjure up something for her to wear until she could be suited for better clothing. She now wore a form-fitting body suit and boots much like Krystal's design, seeing as ROB had merely shrunk down her uniform's design to size for Aura to save him the trouble of creating something from scratch, only the fabric was completely black with blue accents here and there to complement it and the boots colored blue with a single black stripe running down the middle.

"Do you see anything yet?" she asked him concerned.

He shook his head no in response to her. "You're sure he's out there?"

Aura nodded. "I know he is. I can feel him close by."

Krystal could sense him too; his life patterns were very faint but there nonetheless.

The crew watched bits of rock fly past the screen as lasers fought them off. A flickering twinkle off in the distance caught Aura's eye as the bright yellow beam of the laser briefly shone its light on a metallic surface. She let out a gasp of excitement and worry.

"There! Over there on by large one! It's him!" she panted out, fumbling over her words as she strained to keep her focus long enough to get them out.

"Magnify," Fox commanded coolly as the view screen zoomed in on where Aura had pointed out.

Sure enough, there was Zephyr's dormant ship laying limp and lifeless on the rock a ways from the ship.

Aura's small grin faded as she watched Slippy scan the ship. What had happened to him? His life energy was fading slowly but steadily.

"It's completely dead and adrift." He reported, "I'm getting one life sign."

"I'll get him." Aura volunteered quickly.

Krystal eyed her suspiciously.

"It's okay. I know how to control my transformation now. You can trust me." She persuaded.

Fox sighed and nodded a yes to her and with that the wolf was swiftly out the door on her way to the hangar.

_Somewhat control anyway…_

Aura bolted down the corridors and didn't let up her speed by even a second. She was going to make it in time to save him. That was all that mattered to her at that moment. He was going to be okay. She abruptly halted long enough to change her form to operate her ship and cantered with light steps toward it. She leapt gingerly onto its back and slipped into the opening and prepared for launch. As the ship connected with her, she easily maneuvered it and waited for the hangar doors to open.

"Launch doors open." Droned ROB's automated tone as the massive steel panels slid open slowly.

Aura took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and took of through the open space of the hangar, out the opening the doors had given her, and into the stars in a rush faster than any gust of wind. Her wings flapped furiously to achieve balance, and in another liquid motion, she was off towards Zephyr.

His ship was dented in places and scratched here and there. The one thing that stood out most to her was the somewhat blocked hole in the metal frame. She prayed he hadn't been like this for very long. Her fears elevated as she noticed he was unnaturally still.

"Zephyr," she called to him, getting as close to the ship as possible, "Zephyr can you hear me?"

At first there was silence, nothing but eerie silence to quiet the frantic fluttering of her heartbeat.

"Oh, god no," she whimpered in disbelief and denial. She couldn't be too late. She just couldn't.

"A-Aura, is that you I hear?" coughed Zephyr weakly.

Her heart skipped a beat, relieved to hear his voice. "Yes, yes, it's me! I'm going to get you out of here." She told him as she swooped on top of him to get a good grip on his dead ship.

"Wait, you can't…you…" he tried to warn her.

"Can't what?"

"The-the worm, you have to get out of here now."

"Worm? What worm?"

A deafening roar rumbling from behind her answered her question. Scared out of her mind, she quickly turned about to see the eyeless face of the worm as it came at her with open jaws ready to kill. Aura quickly moved out of the way as it clamped down, catching nothing but empty space. The girl quickly grabbed hold of Zephyr and took off with him, the monstrous beast in hot pursuit. She could hear him tiredly muttering incoherently under his breath, and she could tell he was fading in and out.

"Zephyr, you have to stay awake. You can't fall asleep no matter what." She warned him.

The worm closed in on them swiftly and lunged at Aura, clamping down on her tail and pulling her back. She let go of Zephyr completely in the surprise of it all and had a mere matter of seconds to regain her bearing before it finished her off.

Something within her conscious mind clicked like a very old light switch finally being noticed and flicked to see its purpose. A loud, shrill roar screamed from beneath her chest and out through her throat as she whipped around and tore into its flesh ferociously.

Her opponent screeched painfully and took off with Aura attached to it defiantly like a parasite. It writhed about, taking flips and sharp turns in an attempt to shake her off, but she remained fixated to its hide as she tugged fiercely until she finally pierced through the flesh, a strange, yellowed, plasma-like substance flowing from the wound. It cried out in pain and flung her off of it with incredible force and fled from her with great speed, ramming itself into several rocks before finally finding one large enough to burrow itself into.

Aura panted out harsh, ragged breaths as she regained her composure. A shrill scream, very faint at the moment, echoed in the back of her mind, and she knew she had to hurry back and fast. She bolted off through space back to Zephyr, grappled onto him, and sped back into the hangar bay.

"I've got him!" she contacted the ship as the doors came to a close behind her, "He needs medical attention now!"

She waited for her ship to finish its deactivation procedures before crawling out of it with wobbly legs, having grown accustomed to flying rather than walking. That scream was getting louder, its echoes bouncing of the interior of her skull and merging with new waves to grow and expand in her mind. She crumpled down on all fours, wincing as she strained her focus long enough to change back. She let out a grunt of relief as the wretched noise began to dissipate and grow quiet.

Fox and ROB entered in swiftly and quickly acknowledged her before getting to work on the ship. Rob pried open the hatch doors on top as Fox handed him a syringe with the same substance Krystal had used to return Aura to her original form. They waited for a moment as the silver dragon shrank down to a gray wolf once more. Fox scooped up the limp boy and walked off as fast as his legs could carry him without causing damage to Zephyr. ROB followed close behind, but stopped as he saw Aura follow after him.

"I am detecting elevated levels of stress and fatigue in you, Aura. I suggest you get some rest first." He suggested to her.

Aura nodded without saying a word. She couldn't have agreed more with his words. Sleep was sounding like a very good idea at this point. Perhaps this time it would actually go uninterrupted this time if she was lucky enough. With that she trudged out into the corridor and parted ways with ROB as he made his way quickly to the infirmary to tend to Zephyr.

As she watched him disappear behind a corner, a small sigh of concern and longing escaped her muzzle. She didn't want to him to die, but the fact he carried the other dragon with him didn't seem to be the only reason. She felt a sort of connection with him, a sort of warm comfort in knowing she wasn't the only one with this fate. She didn't want to be alone in this, and what she had said to him in their last encounter only made the guilt feel worse. A forlorn haze developed in her eyes as she exhaled softly.

"Please be okay." She prayed as she continued down the rest of the way to her quarters for a long-awaited rest from it all.


	12. Chapter 12

Into the Center of the Eye

A silent sleep going uninterrupted by dreams or voices never sounded as sweet and almost melodic as it did now. The quiet darkness enveloped her in a calm she hadn't known for a long time; the sound of her steady heart beat and soft, subtle sighs of content was like music to her ears. Aura was curled up into a tight and secure ball beneath her covers as she slept in the comfortable silence of her quarters. She lay perfectly still, a sensitive ear twitching ever so slightly on occasion as the cool breeze from the AC tickled it. Everything was just right with world for this one moment, no voices, no screams, and no dreams. Why couldn't every moment have been like this one? Soon, she thought to herself as she slowly began to emerge into the waking world once again, it will all be over soon.

Her eyes slid open, nose quivering as her senses rebooted. A small but long sigh escaped her nostrils, and she stretched out of her ball before heaving herself into an upright position to force her to become wide awake. She blinked emphatically and rubbed her eyes tiredly, stifling a yawn and stretching her sluggish limbs. In a single motion, the lupine swiveled to the edge of her bed and slid off, straightening and smoothing out her now twisted body suit. She had to admit that while it was nice of ROB to make something for her on such short notice, she wasn't a fan of her new attire. She could only hope there would be a place on Kauris where she could acquire a new wardrobe. Until then, this would have to do. Quickly, she slid the boots back over her legs, checked herself over to be sure everything was as it should be, and strolled out the door. She hadn't forgotten about Zephyr.

The image of his battered ship was still fresh in her mind, a haunting spectacle that had sent an unnerving chill wriggling up her spine. She could only hope he wasn't worse off than his ship. She remembered how tired and exhausted he had sounded when she first got out there to him. The poor boy wasn't even able to get out a full sentence in the normal, rapid succession. Aura rounded a corner and picked up her pace as she neared the infirmary.

A blue avian came into view as he rounded a corner on the opposite side of the hall. He stared engrossingly into an electronic panel of sorts as he kept a steady, easy to follow stride as not to run into an unseen obstacle without having enough reaction time to avoid it. As soon as they were close enough, Aura piped up.

"Falco," she called out to him, having to take a moment to remember the name, "you wouldn't happen to know how things are going with Zephyr, would you?"

Falco looked up from his work upon hearing his name and shrugged at the inquiry. "I got nothin'. I just saw 'em take him in there. You'll have to ask Fox or ROB on that one." He answered her concisely.

"I see." She responded. He seemed to want to get back to his work. "Well, thank you."

With that, the two parted ways, Falco off to wherever it was he was going and Aura through the sliding doors of the infirmary. She couldn't quite view this place in the same manner as she had before after the recent events. It felt almost uncomfortably awkward to be in here again. Her attention was instantly drawn away from the feeling when she saw a familiar gray wolf lying on a medical bed fast asleep, the subtle rising and falling of his chest showing his breathing was back to normal. He looked very at ease as he laid there in recovery. She couldn't help but smile at him as she placed a hand on his forehead and brushed a rogue patch of hair away from his face.

Zephyr's eyes snapped open at the touch, startling Aura. She quickly withdrew her hand, not sure how to react other than looking embarrassed and caught off guard.

"I'm sorry if I woke you." She fumbled over her words as the small scare began to wear off.

He watched her for a moment with his good eye, the other staring off past her vacantly, and finally scooted himself into an upright position with a heavy sigh and tired groan.

"No, you're fine. I've been up for a while actually." He finally responded to her, his voice no longer carrying that exhausted, breathless drone.

Her features softened pleasantly as she took a seat at the foot of the bed. There was much to discuss.

* * *

Krystal walked down a nameless corridor with a determined stride, though it was nothing more than a ruse to fool her teammates. She didn't want them to see her troubled, especially after what happened on Corneria. Since then, she had gotten to know her recent tormentor little by little; she probably would have known her a lot better if she hadn't been purposefully avoiding her and denying her existence whenever possible. The vulpine heaved a heavy sigh as she rounded another corner. There was no particular place she was going to; she just needed to walk off her building steam. Several thoughts crossed her mind. She knew for a fact neither of the Keepers could remember anything about the war, yet she was still bitter towards them. She could even sense the sincerity in Aura's wanting to get rid of the threat, even knowing that it was her, yet she couldn't seem to bring herself to accepting that. It just seemed wrong in a way to view an old enemy as a comrade after being trained to view not just her but all of them as dangers that needed to be exterminated as quickly as possible. A saying that the Cornerians used sometimes came to mind as she thought about things. "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." Could this have been the case with her?

"Maybe I'm just over thinking this too much." She whispered to herself as she thought aloud, "Maybe I should give them a chance."

A darker shade of color caught the corner of her eye, and she focused in on it to see it better. It was only the dark of an inward facing corner. She stared at it for a moment before shaking her head somewhat confused and passing it off. She could have sworn for a moment she had seen a familiar serpentine shape weaving out of the dark, but it seemed to only be her imagination.

"Bridge to Krystal," buzzed Fox's voice on her wrist communicator loudly to catch her attention.

Krystal blinked surprised and quickly recomposed herself. "This is Krystal." She responded.

"We're getting close to the Cerinian ruins. Go find Aura and report up here." He issued an order

"Acknowledged, Krystal out." The vixen pressed a button on her comm. to sever the link and set off in search of Aura.

* * *

"You seem surprised to see me." Aura noted.

Zephyr clasped his hands and looked away from her eyes uncomfortably. "Well, to be honest, I didn't expect you to come after me like that. You seemed pretty set in stone about your intentions."

She looked down at her fingertips. "I was, but…" she trailed off in awkward silence.

"But?" he urged her to continue.

The wolf let out a small sigh. "It's just that it didn't feel right to just leave you out there. I knew you were in danger. It was instinct."

They both fell silent for a brief moment, contemplating what to say next.

"So now what?" Zephyr inquired.

"We look for the portal to the lost dimension Kauris was in. These people have agreed to help us."

She saw guilt flash in his eyes and pin his ears down against his head as it sank low.

"You know. What I said last time, I want to apologize for that. I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking, but it was foolish."

Aura placed her hand on his sympathetically. "Yes, it was, but it's in the past now. What's important is that you're okay, and we're together again." She assured him, a small smile creasing her black muzzle.

Zephyr gazed thoughtfully at her, a light pink blush barely visible against the white of his snout. His ear flicked as the hiss of the infirmary doors opening caught his attention.

Aura withdrew her hand instantly, hoping it was in time for whoever had come in not to notice. She turned around and saw Krystal standing by the door as it closed behind her.

The cerulean one stared at the two long and hard before finally speaking, as if trying to ascertain the situation. "We're nearing our first search area. Fox needs us on the bridge." She directed her words to Aura alone.

The wolf nodded in acknowledgement and rose to her feet. She looked back to Zephyr. "You should probably come up too. Are you able to?" she asked him.

"I think I'll rest here a little while longer. You go on ahead; I'll catch up later." He spoke through a yawn as he stretched his limbs.

"I'll be back in a bit." She told him before following Krystal out.

The two walked on in silence to the lift, yet somehow it wasn't nearly as uncomfortable a silence as it had been before. For once, Aura felt strangely at peace. She wasn't alone anymore on this ship. She finally had a friend accompanying her. They entered the lift and stood still as it ascended to the proper deck. Krystal stared at Aura with a puzzled expression. Aura paid no heed until her curiosity finally got the better of her.

"What?" she asked finally, breaking the silence yet again.

"You're smiling," the vulpine noted, "and blushing."

Aura could feel the heat rush to her face and knew that her blush had only grown brighter and more apparent.

"R-really?" she stammered out embarrassed, frantically attempting to herself to calm down.

Krystal half smiled at her, and for a moment Aura sensed hope, hope that their relationship would finally take a turn for the better. In the instant it appeared, it faded just as fast when the doors hissed open to allow them passage to the bridge. Aura quickly composed herself and entered behind Krystal.

The view screen showed a scene of stars, rock and dust scattered across the vast black canvas of space, a celestial tombstone forever marked Cerinia. There was a deep connection the lupine felt whenever her eyes met it, and she could only wonder how Krystal must have felt about having to come back to it. Her guilt only increased the more she let her mind wander. She may not have been the direct cause for its destruction, but she too played a part in something destructive against it just like the rest of her people had in that war. Disgusted at the thought of what horrible things might have happened to the Cerinians at her hands, Aura quickly tore her eyes away from the screen and took a deep breathe to focus.

"We've approached the coordinates, Fox. What exactly are we looking for?" Slippy reported to his superior, swiveling away from the helm control to make eye contact with Fox, who sat in his chair in the center of the bridge.

Fox gave an inquiring look to Aura as if to repeat the question to her, and that look suddenly made the wolf feel very small and quite lost. What was she supposed to answer with? She didn't know exactly what it was. "The center of the eye", that was it. That vague phrase was her only clue.

"Anything unusual for now, I guess." She recovered.

This seemed to satisfy them, and they were off to work, Slippy now at the sensors panel with Krystal.

Falco entered the bridge with an expression on his face that screamed "Finally!"

"Fox," he said, "ROB and I have finished repairs on the ship. Everything should be running smoothly now." He informed him proudly.

"Ship?" Aura asked rather surprised, "Zephyr's ship?"

"Yeah, it was pretty banged up." The avian answered, "We were able to fix it thanks to the information Krystal gave us."

Aura looked over to the said vixen and could tell she hadn't planned on Falco actually mentioning it. Respecting her want for anonymity, she merely smiled a grateful smile at her, knowing she would understand its meaning. The wolf walked over to Slippy and examined the sensors as he completed different scans. She watched what appeared on the grid intently and with interest when something new caught her eye.

"Hold on," she alerted Slippy, "Go back, what's that mass?"

"That?" the amphibian scrolled across a chart to what she was pointing to, "That's just a nebula, nothing major."

"A nebula?"

"Yeah, it's a cloud of gas and dust in space. New stars form within them. They're very colorful"

"Really?" she asked astonished, "May I see?"

"Sure," he chimed happily, "I'll put it on the screen here."

A picture of a colorful, gaseous cloud in hues of orange, red, and violet amongst the stars flashed on a screen above the two. Aura stared in awe at it, captured wholly by its fantastic colors and shape. She had never seen a nebula before.

"How beautiful!" she exclaimed in a breathless whisper. She couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from such a site.

Suddenly, a strange familiarity became accompanied with it. It was like remembering something from a dream, a long forgotten instinct of some sort.

_When the time comes, you will remember what you have never truly forgotten…_

That same voice echoed within her mind. She now trusted it whole-heartedly though, knowing it was the voice of the Elders guiding her. Just as their words melted away, she suddenly knew with certainty that what they were looking for was in that nebula.

"It's in there." She muttered.

"Pardon?" Slippy asked puzzled.

"The portal to the lost dimension, it's in that nebula."

He watched her long and hard in disbelief before checking the sensor logs. "I didn't find anything unusual in there though, no abnormal energy readings, no nothing."

"Slippy," she pleaded, "You have to trust me on this one. I know your sensors don't have anything to back up what I' trying to say, but I know it has to be in there. Something in my gut's telling me that. You have to believe me."

Krystal, having overheard as she approached them, looked over the sensor logs as well to confirm Slippy's side of the situation before coming to Fox about it.

"I think we've found something." She told him, "Aura believes the portal is located somewhere in a nearby nebula."

Fox looked up at her words and sat up, knowing there was more. "But?"

"The sensor logs show nothing strange present there. We're going on gut instinct at this point."

"It's better than nothing, I suppose. Slippy," he called out to the toad, waiting until he knew he had been heard and was being acknowledged, "run every scan you can think of on that nebula until you find something. This is our only hunch we have right now, so we don't want to miss a thing."

Slippy grumbled something underneath his breath before obeying reluctantly. He knew he would be here a while now. Aura sympathetically placed a hand on his shoulder and left him for the lift. She really wanted to get back to Zephyr. She was glad he was okay, and now that he was here with her she felt more useful to the rest of the team by discussing the plan with him. They still had to figure out what to do once they finally reached Kauris.

Just as the doors slid open for her to enter, there stood the silver wolf as if on cue. He no longer wore the uniform she had seen him in. More casual clothing suited him, giving him a different look than before. He wore a simple black t-shirt with dark-blue jeans and black sneakers. Faint scorch marks littered his clothing here and there, reminding her that they had been on him during the incident with the asteroid worm. Everything had happened so fast and so suddenly that she hadn't taken the time to notice until now.

"Zephyr," she yipped surprised, "I didn't expect you to get up here so soon."

"Am I not allowed up here or something?" he asked, peering about the room with curiosity.

"No, no, you're fine. You just surprised me is all." She answered, entering the lift with him, "Hungry?"

* * *

Krystal watched the two leave and sighed, turning her attention back to her work. Fox was now standing by her.

"You know," he began, "you can't avoid her forever."

"Whoever said I was avoiding her?" she asked somewhat snappishly.

He only eyed her knowingly.

She sighed quietly. "I'm sorry, Fox. It's just hard to look past the dragon and see her there. You understand."

"Do I?"

"Well, yes, you were at war with Venom for quite some time. It must have been hard those first few steps after the war to adapt to the Venomians."

"Yeah, but I don't growl and mutter something under my breath every time I see one though. I moved on just like everyone else did."

"I was under the impression I wouldn't have to worry about adjusting to the Keepers. I didn't know there were survivors."

Fox sighed. "Look, I know it must be rough, but you two are going to have to work together at some point, so you need to let go of your differences and earn each other's trust if we're going to complete this mission successfully."

She nodded solemnly in response.

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "And remember," he whispered low, "I'm still here if you need someone to talk to."

Krystal smiled thoughtfully. "Thanks, Fox."

* * *

Aura and Zephyr munched contentedly on sandwiches they had confiscated from the refrigerator. It didn't seem like it would be a big loss if they had just a nibble. They were both ham with cheddar cheese on white bread spread with mayonnaise. Aura found it all rather delicious except for the mayo. She could have done without it, but it wasn't a big enough dislike to want to stop eating. Zephyr, on the other hand, didn't seem to have any particular fault with his meal and ate happily in silence.

Ever persistent on the task ahead of them, Aura swallowed down a bit of sandwich and began.

"What will we do when we get to Kauris? I mean I know what we're supposed to do, but I'm not sure how or where on the planet."

"I'm not sure." he answered between bites, "If you ask me, I'm not liking all of this secrecy. I feel like their hiding something from us, those Elders. I've got a rotten feeling about it that's been sitting in the pit of my stomach."

His stomach let out a gurgling growl in protest.

Aura couldn't help but laugh. "Are you sure you're not just hungry?"

"My stomach's just being impatient. I'm eating now." He answered with a laugh.

Aura swallowed another bite before speaking. "I've been getting that feeling too, but somehow, I feel it's not as bad as it seems. They'll reveal everything in time, I'm sure."

Zephyr stood up as he gobbled up the last of his sandwich gratefully and scooped up his empty plate. "Yeah, well they better not take too long. We can't be that far from completing our task if we've almost found the portal."

He offered to take her plate for her.

"Thank you," she thanked him, handing him her empty plate before continuing, "I guess you're right. In any case, we shouldn't worry about what we can't change, and we can't change what we don't know. We'll just have to throw caution to the wind on this one unfortunately."

"Naturally," he replied, "So where to know?"

Aura stood to meet him. "We go back to the bridge and help find that portal any way we can."

"Sounds like a plan. Lead the way." He gestured for her to go first.

* * *

Slippy groaned and clutched his stomach as it gurgled and growled.

"So hungry," he whimpered, "what I wouldn't give for something to eat right about now."

"So go get something to eat then, Slip. It's not like were in the middle of a famine." Falco told him.

"Well, I'd rather not have to worry about getting back to my work when I'm done eating." He retorted.

"Then you've got nothing to complain about." Krystal scolded him mildly, bored eyes never leaving her panel.

The toad muttered something incoherently beneath his breath as he looked back at the star chart of the nebula. There was nothing abnormal, nothing unusual, just a plain old nebula. Bored and out of scans to take, he randomly pressed buttons on the chart that changed the perspective view of the cloud.

"Center of the eye, what a stupid clue t-

He stopped in mid-sentence as something caught his attention. His webbed fingers danced across the keys as he returned the perspective to a previous one. It took a moment or so to register in his mind fully, but when it did, "Ahh!" he croaked happily.

This obviously caught the attention of his teammates, and they were soon all behind him, staring at the screen dumbfounded. It was all so simple now.

Just then, Aura and Zephyr returned to the bridge.

"What's going on?" Aura asked confused as to why everyone was huddled in one area of the room.

Krystal turned around quickly, a smile creasing her muzzle. "I believe we've found your portal." She announced, moving out of the way.

There before their eyes was an image of the same nebula as before, it's perspective changed to that of a bird's eye view. The shape was crude but unmistakeable. It was in the shape of an eye.

* * *

"Is everyone ready? Coordinates set, Slip?" Fox asked as everyone finished the last details of departure. Now that they knew where the opening was, it was a simple matter of journeying to the center and finding it.

"Roger that, we're ready when you are." Slippy reported back.

"Then take us in."

The Great Fox lurched forward gracefully, and in minutes it was hidden within the massive nebula. The stars disappeared from the view screen and were replaced with colorful dust. Now they waited until they arrived at the approximate coordinates. It was rather boring to have to wait for those who weren't navigating, which was basically everyone except ROB, who was down below monitoring the engines, and Slippy. Finally after what seemed like hours, it was announced they had arrived.

Everyone was on alert for the slightest change, yet everything remained the same. They all stared puzzled. Where was the portal?

"I don't get it." Aura whispered confused.

_We shall allow you passage, but know this, once you enter the lost dimension you will not be able to contact us until you reach Kauris. Seek out our temple within the main city, and we will give you instruction. Time is not on your side, little one, you must hurry._

Suddenly a spectacular flash of blue unfurled before the great ship to reveal a vortex of some sort, a tunnel of orange-yellow light shining within. Aura could feel her body tremble slightly with fearful uncertainty. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked to see Zephyr gazing softly on her with concern. It would seem he had heard the same message. Reassuringly, she grasped his hand tight as the ship was taken in. There was a brilliant flash of light, and the nebula suddenly vanished. There was only a canvas of stars before them.

"Fox, there's no record of this place anywhere. We're completely lost." Slippy reported worriedly.

"We must be in the right place then. Scan for a planet." He ordered.

The toad's lime green face turned pale as the results came back. "F-Fox, we have a problem, a big problem."

"What is it?" he asked, almost afraid to know the answer.

"There're several planets in this sector, too many to count. It could take us who knows how long to sort out the one we're looking for out of all of these."

Aura bowed her head in dismay. So close and yet so far, how were they going to find Kauris now? The end of their journey seemed so out of reach now, and they were running out of time.

Fox took in a long and heavy sigh and eyed all of his teammates. They all gave him supporting glances.

"Set a course for the nearest inhabited planet. Maybe someone will know where we can find Kauris."

* * *

**Author's Note: Now we're getting into the fun part, so hang tight and enjoy what you've read so far. I'm not getting a whole lot of time to write this, but now that this is getting into a part I'm having a lot more fun writing, I should be able to get updates in fairly quicker than before.**


	13. A Note from the Author

**A BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENT**

Hello, all, Spunky (formerly Sapphire) here! As you know, I've been officially AWOL for a few years now, and I won't get into why, because there's no big dramatic reason behind it, just dealing with work, school and real life.

But what matters now is that I'm back! Writing fanfics have always been something I do for fun. It's relaxing, and it's how I got into writing to begin with, so I really want to get back to doing just that.

Although, my fics, this one in particular, are so old, I just have no interest in them or have no idea anymore what I had planned for them. This story, however, is so near and dear to me that I don't want to just dump it, so I'm going to rewrite it!

That's right! Last Dragon's getting a much needed, long overdue, hefty reboot!

I want to thank everyone who followed this story and reviewed, because you all are the sole reason I even continued it to begin with. I'll keep this old version up for reference, but the new story will be on its own. I've got lots of things planned, so keep an eye out.

Thank you all for your support,

Spunky Mutt


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